Fire and Ice
by Sakura Takanouchi
Summary: With his cold blue eyes and aloof personality, Seto Kaiba is surely the element of ice. Her fiery personality and radiant features make Serenity Wheeler a child of fire. When these two personalities meet, which is stronger: fire or ice?
1. Chapter One

Okay, here's my new Seto/Serenity fanfic written solely because I wanted to. I don't own Yu-gi-oh! (Although I do own a huge stack of SJ magazines with YGO in them, tho).

Reviews appreciated, because the idea for this story came from the depths of my frequently numbed mind and hasn't fully taken any shape yet.

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter One

School is not exactly a girl's best friend, but here I was at 7:30 in the morning. It was my first day, and I didn't want to be late. That's me, Serenity Wheeler. I had begged my mom to let me go to Domino High, and frankly, I'm surprised she agreed. Now I live in a small apartment not too far from school and just a short walk from where my big brother, Joey, lives.

He's several years older than I am, and we've been living apart ever since our parents got divorced. But he's always been there for me. I don't know what I'd do without him. He also goes to Domino High, another reason why I transferred. He has a lot of really good friends, and I couldn't wait to meet them.

Naturally, Domino High was a fairly big school, and I immediately got lost. I was wandering the halls trying not to look like I was lost, when the bell rang. The hallways emptied in minutes, leaving me alone to wander the halls looking for Lassiter; Room 211.

I noticed after several minutes that I was in the wrong building, and walked outside into a beautiful courtyard.

'This must be so pretty in the springtime,' I thought. There were several trees, and the fall flowers were in bloom. I turned around. No sign indicating the building I was supposed to be in. Then I heard voices coming from a long outdoor hallway, and I followed them. Maybe someone could point me in the right direction.

What I saw was the exact opposite of what I had expected to see. Several tough-looking teenagers were beating up a lone boy, who, despite trying to fight them off, was completely overwhelmed by them.

"How do you like us now, rich boy?" one of the thugs asked meanly. The boy didn't respond, but merely glared at him. He was bleeding from this mouth and had bruises on his shoulder showing through his uniform shirt. The blazer lay in torn shreds on the ground, and his tie was stained red.

I gasped just soft enough for them not to hear me. 'This sort of thing never happened at my old school!' I thought. 'What should I do?' Then, the boy raised his head and stared at me with listless, tired eyes. Eyes that held a pleading look, and yet scorned the thought of it. But they were the deepest shade of blue.

'I've got to help him!' I thought as she picked up a brick from the edge of the walkway.

"Any last words?" the biggest thug asked with a grin. The grin faded to unconsciousness as he fell, revealing me holding the brick above my head.

I was breathing hard, and was trying not to show how scared I was. I screamed, "Go away! Leave him alone!" And they walked slowly towards the building I had come out of.

I knelt beside the boy and offered my hand to help him up. "I should get you to the nurse, but I don't know where it is. I'm new here, and this is my first day. I'm Serenity."

He stood up without taking my hand, and he towered above me. I shrank back, but my back was already against the wall.

"I don't want your sympathy," he sneered and limped off to another building. He almost collapsed after walking several yards away from me.

"Stop! You're going to seriously hurt yourself if you don't let me help you." I put my arm around his shoulder to support him, and he did not resist. With my other hand, I used his tie to wipe away some of the blood that was trickling down his cheek.

"Now, where is the nurse's office?" I asked as we hobbled along in the direction he grunted in. Thankfully, the halls were empty, so no one saw him, or me. In several minutes we reached the nurse's office. I opened the door and helped him inside.

The nurse gasped, and started preparing a bed for him, as well as some antiseptic and cloths to put over the bleeding areas.

"Young man, you are lucky that girl found you. She probably saved your life, and now we have a witness to put those punks out of school," the nurse said.

I helped him sit down on the bed. "I hope you'll be ok," I said with a smile. Then I noticed the time. "Oh my gosh! I'm a half-hour late to my first class! I have to go find it now, I'm sorry to leave you like this," I started to say, but his firm grip on my hand stopped me.

"It's alright, I'll be fine," he said, not making eye contact with me. "And…thanks."

"No problem!" I replied, and left, asking the nurse for directions to my class. I found it easily, and tentatively knocked on the door. At the sound of, "Come in," I opened it and stepped inside. Twenty pairs of eyes stared at me.

"You are the new student we have been expecting? You are…thirty minutes late. Did you get lost?" At my silence the class broke out into laughter. But it was friendly laughter. I instantly felt at ease.

"I am English professor Mr. Lassiter. Class," he addressed, "This is Serenity Wheeler. Although she is a junior, at her old school, she is taking this class, which is why she is here. Please, take the fourth seat in the last row."

I walked down the aisle and sat at my place. The work was not difficult, as we had already gone through this at my old school. I opened my schedule and tried to remember the hallways I had walked down earlier that morning:

7:45-8:00: Homeroom, Lassiter 211

8:05-8:55: 12th grade English, Lassiter 211

9:00-9:50: 11th grade Social Studies, Shirakawa 352

9:55-10:45: 11th grade adv. Japanese, Hinomoto, 124

10:50- 11:40: Advanced Biology, Tsumei 533

11:40- 12:30: Lunch and free time

12:30-1:20: Chorus, Karada 104

1:25- 2:15: Art, Takanouchi 108

2:20- 3:10: Phys Ed, Imato Gym Building

'Today is going to drag along, I can feel it,' I thought sleepily. But I dare not fall asleep on the first day if school!

In a rapid succession of written notes unnoticed by our teacher, I got to know everyone in the class, an they got to know me. I had made several new friends by this process, but I had promised Joey that I'd eat lunch with him today.

My next three classes were all lengthy and boring, except for biology. Tsumei-sensei had taught a very enjoyable class, and we were just beginning the plants unit, one of my favorite topics.

I was beginning to get a feel of the school as that bell rang. I stashed my books in my locker and grabbed my lunch. It was homemade and contained my favorite foods.

On the way, I spotted the nurse's office and stepped inside. She was organizing papers, but she stopped to greet me.

"I was wondering…how is he?" I asked, realizing that I didn't know the name of the man I had rescued.

"Oh, him," the nurse smiled. "He insisted on leaving ten minutes ago to get his lunch, and never returned. He's doing fine."

I thanked her and went into the courtyard I had entered earlier to look for Joey.

I saw him sitting on a brick wall, opening a brown paper bag. I walked over to him and put my hands over his eyes. "Guess who?" I teased.

"Serenity!" He turned around and gave me a hug. "How was your morning?"

"It went great, considering I got lost and was late to my first class," I explained. "All my classes are great, and I made several new friends."

"Great, sis. Meet Tea, Yugi, and Tristan, they're my friends."

I shyly said hello to his friends. Even though he was older than I was, Yugi was so…chibi! And Tea seemed really nice. Tristan was weird, though. He kept staring at me, after we had been introduced. It made me feel uncomfortable, so I edged away from him and talked to Tea.

At a lull in the conversation, I had spotted him over in the corner of the courtyard, with a laptop computer in front of him as he ate. He had on a new blazer, which hid the stains in his tie (either that or he had gotten a new one) and was not surrounded by friends the way I was.

I got Joey's attention and asked, "What is his name… him, over there, with the laptop?" I pointed to show him whom I meant.

Joey did not reply, but I noticed his hands were clenched into fists. "Don't… talk about him… in my presence," he muttered through clenched jaws.

It was Yugi who answered for me. "That's Seto Kaiba. He owns the company KaibaCorp downtown. I guess he's an ok person, and a great duelist, although he is quiet, and aloof. He's a senior, in our classes, but I have never known him to talk at all during our classes. In fact, today is the first day he's gone to school in a week."

So I finally knew his name. But the anger my brother had shown at the mention of his name confused me. "Why do you dislike him so much?" I asked.

He stared at me. "Why do you want to know?" He returned my question with another.

Tristan saved me from Joey's question by answering mine. "At Duelist Kingdom and around here, Joey and Kaiba aren't on very good terms, especially because he always loses." He smiled at me, and I was thankful I didn't have to answer Joey. Because, in truth, I wasn't sure why I wanted to know more about him. I just did.

But a comment Yugi had made intrigued me. "Dueling?" I asked. "Can you tell me more about that?"

"Sure," Yugi replied, pleased. "It's a card game, called Duel Monsters. It's quite popular here in Domino. I'll bring my duel monsters cards tomorrow and I'll teach you how to play.

Lunch ended suddenly and I went on my way, trying to find my Chorus class. Luckily enough, Art was very close to it, so I didn't have to walk far to get to either class.

My art class was amazing. We were working on watercolors, and Takanouchi-sensei said we could paint whatever we liked. I made a landscape, with a clear sky and a rainbow. I was allowed to take my painting home with some watercolors to continue working on it, and I was thrilled.

As I walked over to the Gym Building, I saw one of the friends I had made during Biology and another from English. I walked over to them, waving a greeting.

"Serenity! So you're in our gym class this year!" My upperclassmen friends gushed.

"That's cool, but… at my old school the grades were kept apart for gym. So, we all take gym together?" I asked.

"Yeah! It's a required course, so we all take it together," they answered. One was of medium height and had long blue-tinted hair in French braids and wore glasses. Her name is Tomohiko Takoe.

The other, whom had just spoken, was a tall dark-haired girl who wore her hair cropped. She dressed trendily, with baggy knee socks with colored stitching and bright tennis shoes. Her name is Kaleigh Laurie.

Together we entered the gym building and headed for the locker rooms. Takoe and Kaleigh changed into their uniform gym clothes, but myself, having none, brought my own gym clothes to change into. We spent so much time in there that we had to run to get to the Gym on time.

Luckily, we got there just in time for roll call. I shouted "here!" when my turn came. We were set to play volleyball. It was Takoe and I against Kaleigh, as Kaleigh was on the Varsity volleyball team.

We were playing for several minutes (and losing) when I slammed the ball past Kaleigh and it went hurling around the gym. I started to chase after it when it rolled into the upperclassmen guy's basketball game. Embarrassed, I didn't want to interrupt their game, but I needed to get the ball back. The ball stopped at someone's feet, and he picked it up. Turning around, he looked for where it had come from. My gaze met the ice-blue eyes of Seto Kaiba.

I couldn't believe he was in my gym class! I was suddenly embarrassed, and couldn't say anything. I wished I had brought a better shirt, as mine was an old white T-shirt. Seto looked good, all traces of bruises and blood gone. I was unusually shy, and did not know what to say to him. Finally, I found my voice. "Can you throw back the volleyball?"

He threw the ball at me, and I promptly dropped it. He smirked at me and went back to the game. I chased the ball back to our volleyball game and we resumed playing. I was self-conscious now, and so we lost the game.

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and we all walked back to the locker rooms to change back into our school uniforms. I took too much time wandering around the locker rooms and was the last to leave. I had just walked out of the door when who should come out of the men's locker room but Seto Kaiba.

We walked in side-by-side silence for a moment. I couldn't bear it, and had to say something, even if it was stupid: "Yugi's going to teach me how to play duel monsters."

Seto merely looked annoyed. "What about it?" he asked.

"Well, I was just thinking… maybe we could all duel together sometime," I answered.

Seto sneered. "Not one of your friends could ever hold a candle to me in Duel Monsters. Yugi is at best a worthy opponent. I would never waste my time dueling you." He quickened his pace and I stopped. He was so rude! I made a promise to myself, then, that I'd become a better duelist, someone strong enough to take on even Seto Kaiba.

That afternoon, I stopped by the first game shop I could see to buy myself some booster packs. I didn't have much money on me, so I would have to come back later.

A bell on the door rang as I entered the small but cozy game shop. Electronic Games lined one wall, and puzzles and other games lined the other. A display counter stood next to the cash register. An old man called out in greeting, "Welcome! What can I do to help you?"

"I'm interested in starting duel monsters, and would like some booster packs, please," I answered politely. Then, suddenly, Yugi came through a door behind the display counter.

"Hey! This is my Grandpa's Game shop! So you're looking for some booster packs?" He asked as he opened the display counter. "This one's the best, in my opinion. It's called the 'Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon' booster pack. There was said to be a rare blue-eyes white dragon card in one of these packs, but there are only 4 available in the whole world,'" Yugi explained.

"What happened to those four?" I asked, genuinely interested. I had never seen a picture of this rare card, but if there were only 4 ever available, then I wanted to know more about them.

"Someone owns three of them, and the fourth got destroyed," Yugi answered.

"Who owns them? And who would do a thing like that?"

"Seto Kaiba was the one who owns the three remaining blue-eyes and he destroyed the fourth one. You know…he was the one you asked about during lunch." Yugi looked at Serenity, who looked strangely at the booster packs.

'How could he do that? The image of that dragon on the booster pack looks so…majestic. So…beautiful.' I suddenly dug through my purse. "How much?" I asked.

Yugi just stared at me. "How much for the booster packs?" I repeated.

"Oh," he said. "It's $5.00 each, or 4 for $16.00." I paid for four booster packs, one being a legend of blue-eyes booster pack, and left the game shop with the promise to come back after school tomorrow.

I arrived at my apartment with some groceries and proceeded to make some ramen for dinner. After I had done my schoolwork and studied, I lay on my bed and opened the first booster pack.

It contained seven cards, and at first all I could look at was the artwork. Some of the monsters on the cards were beautiful, but others were so grotesque and horrid that I couldn't bear to look at them. 'I'm only going to have pretty cards in my deck,' I decided.

One by one I opened up those booster packs. Out of every seven, I noticed that I got at least one card with sparkly shiny writing, and several of the cards had sparkly shiny artwork. I put the cards I most liked in one pile, and the cards I didn't in another. The 'card reject' pile was greater than the other pile, much to my disappointment.

Only the Blue-eyes white dragon booster pack was left. Carefully I opened the package and seven cards fell out. I read aloud the cards as I looked at them, saying, and "Uraby… reject Man Eater… reject Kagemusha… ooh, that's pretty, so I'll keep that… and so on until only one card was left. I stared at it awhile before pronouncing its name, "Wingweaver." This card was beautiful, and from what I already understood about Duel Monsters, this card was one of the most powerful I had gotten that day. It looked rare, too, so I put it on top of my new deck (far from completion) and placed that in my desk drawer.

Sleep came sooner than expected, and I dreamt of Dragons and Duel Monsters.

A/N

Reviews appreciated, but of course not demanded… waves around a bucket with words saying, 'Click it or Kick it' Of course not demanding! Second chapter will be up shortly, but if you liked this, check out my other Seto/Serenity fic with dashes of other pairings mixed in called 'Meaningful Simplicity.' Check it out, yo!

Sakura Takanouchi


	2. Chapter Two

First off, I would like to thank all of you guys who reviewed, it really helped and I love you all! For all of you who are still keeping up with this, this is the second chapter of this fanfic! And... For those who didn't...here's chapter two anyways, just because I love you guys!

Also, I know Wingweaver isn't very rare, but it's going to be in this fanfic. So…nyah.

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Two

Today my mood was a total turn-around from yesterday. I couldn't wait until lunch, when Yugi would teach me how to play duel monsters. Well, he'd begin to teach me. I'd have to have a full deck before I could do any real battling.

I eagerly went about my morning activities, deciding I'd eat breakfast at a coffee shop on the way to school. I locked the front door and went on my way, making sure my beginnings of a deck were in my book bag.

I arrived at school early, for once, and was able to find my homeroom without much difficulty. The homeroom class was the same as my English class, so I sat in my regular seat, which was in the aisle next to Kaleigh's.

We talked for several minutes on trivial things, but I couldn't wait for lunch. The morning sped by, and before I knew it, I was going to my locker and getting out my lunch.

Yugi saw me right away in the courtyard and waved at me. We sat opposite each other on the brick wall lining the courtyard, and held our lunches in our laps.

"Will you show me the cards you got yesterday?" Yugi asked. I nodded, and pulled out the 15 cards that I had kept. Yugi looked over each card considerably, nodding and giving remarks about that card.

"Ooh, this card, Gemini Elf, is really good, even though you'll need a sacrifice...Mystical Elf, another good card, with high defense... Red Medicine, now that's a good magic card..." He stopped talking and I leaned over to see what card he was looking at. It was my Wingweaver.

"This card is pretty rare, and will probably be the strongest card in your whole deck for a long time. You should treasure it." Yugi handed the deck back to me, which I set on the wall between us.

"Now, in Duel Monsters, there are 3 types of cards: Monster, Magic, and Trap. With Monster cards, there are many different attributes to the kinds of monsters, such as Water, Fairy, and Machine. There are also 'elements' of the Monsters, like Dark, Light, Wind, etc. Your deck is, so far, mostly Light/Fairy monsters, but you'll need to add a few more from different attributes and elements to get a well-balanced deck."

I drank up everything that Yugi said. I was so determined to learn this game, and I think I learned a lot. I left to go to Chorus with the promise to come back to the game shop for more lessons and to choose more cards.

The afternoon swept by, just like the morning, but I was dreading gym class. I wasn't that athletic and I felt like I was making a fool of myself every time we tried a different sport. I was only comfortable with tennis and archery, but we haven't done those at this school yet.

I had brought a newer gym shirt and shorts, as I hadn't gotten the gym uniform yet. I talked with Kaleigh and Tomohiko until we got to the gym. Then, our instructor told us we would be going outside. My heart leaped at the thought that maybe we would be doing tennis or archery.

We were playing football. American Football. Thank goodness I was on the same team as Tomohiko and Kaleigh, or else it would've been unbearable. So I stood in the far corner of the field, staring into the sky and daydreaming.

I vaguely heard the cry of "get out of the way!" and I snapped to my senses a little too late. A high arc-ing football was headed towards me, and someone was running to catch it when it fell.

And he crashed right into me. I lay sprawled on the ground with some beefy football player on top of me. And I was not happy about it.

"Get off of me!" I said as I tried to get whoever was on me, off. I rolled and breathed fresh air, not sweaty football scent. That was when I spied the football, resting on the ground. I picked it up and flung it as far away from me as I could. And it actually went pretty far. I saw Kaleigh catch it and run into the endzone, scoring a touchdown and bringing our team into the lead.

Then I realized that the guy who had crashed into me had stood up and taken off his helmet. I looked into the scowling face of Seto Kaiba. I realized that he was mad because I had helped my team get a touchdown, and apparently he was very competitive.

"Ooh, was I in your way?" I couldn't help myself saying. "Sorry about that touchdown. It just kinda...happened."

Seto's eyes narrowed and he spit on the ground. "Don't...get in my way again," he said.

"Yeah, because with all of that football bulk, I was suffocating enough when you fell on me that first time, I don't think I could make it a second time," I joked. Seto, though took me seriously... and offensively.

"Get out of my way," Seto pushed me back as he walked towards the other side of the field. I was surprised at the strength of his hand.

"Oww.." I said softly as I looked at the game progress again. 'Seto Kaiba, you are such a jerk!' I thought to myself as I watched the game. I wanted to get him back for that, and I knew just how.

The next ball that sailed in my direction, I caught neatly. But this time, I ran towards the endzone instead of throwing the ball to someone else. I dodged person after person, until the endzone was just waiting for me. I saw Seto running towards me, but I knew he wouldn't, he couldn't stop me. I spun around him, and he tripped while I sailed into the endzone, scoring another touchdown for our team.

Seto stood up, visibly furious. I could see his eyes, trying to burn a hole through me. I winked at him and tossed the ball to someone else. I giggled inside myself. 'Tormenting him like this is fun!' I thought.

I changed into my school uniform and folded my sweaty gym clothes into my book bag. Kaleigh was gossiping randomly as we changed. "Serenity, I can't believe how great you looked on the field!" She gushed.

"Thanks," I answered.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Tomohiko joined in. "But the way you were acting out there, you just made yourself a lot of enemies."

"Wait... what do you mean?" I asked.

"You were so flirting with Seto Kaiba!" They both answered. "He has a huge fan club, plus all of his company 'associates.'" Kaleigh said.

"Me and Seto Kaiba? No way!" I said, but my face was burning red. I changed the subject back to the game we had played. I had actually enjoyed gym today, and I had made a good impression on the class. They thought I was a hotshot athlete. The trouble was, I had to keep up that reputation.

I walked out of the locker room with a smile on my face and a song stuck in my head, until a hand on my shoulder caused me to spin around.

"What is your problem?" Seto asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Huh?" I asked.

"All I did was crash into you, and you had to go making me look bad in front of the entire class!"

"It was funny!" I said. "So, just apologize for your clumsiness, and everything will be fine!"

Seto roughly pushed me against the wall. I was scared now. His eyes suddenly looked at my book bag, and he took something from it.

"Hey! Give me back my deck!" I shouted. He towered above me, so I knew I couldn't use force. I waited, suspenseful.

He studied my deck with an arrogant smile on his face. "All you have in your deck are fluffy fairy creatures. You'll never win with a deck like that. Your dueling skills are minimal. To win, you need strong, tough monsters. I'll bet you've heard about my blue-eyes white dragons."

I grabbed my deck from his hands, but his hand caught my wrist. I struggled in his grasp, but it was useless. He was basically pinning me to the wall, and I noticed the calluses on his fingers and the muscles in his arms. He was used to hard work, and I knew he would lick me in a second if I started anything, but that didn't keep me from speaking. "These cards are not weak," I said.

"Oh? Is that so?" Seto asked sarcastically, looking me in the eye.

"These are the cards that will someday bring you down." I returned his stare boldly, not willing to break it or back down. But I was not ready for what happened next.

Seto Kaiba leaned in towards me and whispered in my ear, "I have never backed down or lost to a challenge, and don't think I won't now," He released his grip on my shoulder and wrist, and walked down the hallway.

I was left speechless, standing alone in the hallway. 'Whoa... I thought for a second he was going to kiss me,' I thought. "Wait...why did I think that? Did I want him to kiss me?' "Got out of my head!" I screamed, then stopped myself. I had more important things to think about than Seto Kaiba.

I looked at my watch, gasped, and started running for the game center, all thoughts of Seto gone, at least for the moment.

POV CHANGE! (Seto's)

I had enjoyed that scared look she had displayed several moments ago. But she did not run away or scream. She had tried to intimidate me, of all people. I, Seto Kaiba, have been raised to be intimidated by no one and be intimidating to everyone. But this girl, Serenity, was different. Why was she torturing me like this?

I couldn't help myself. I was drawn to her. I was drawn into her liquid eyes, expresso in color, and her silky auburn hair. But attraction? It is something I've read about, watched happen, but have never experienced. And I wouldn't now.

But toying with her might be fun.

POV CHANGE! (Serenity's)

I reached the game shop in 6 minutes and found Yugi waiting for me. "We just got in a new shipment of cards today. You know, you can buy booster packs, but you can also buy singular cards. Come in and look!" I followed him inside and looked at the display counter, close to full.

"See? You can choose 5 cards for $2.00 if they're common, but the rarer ones sell for more, like this one," Yugi pointed to a card who's label read, "The Dark Mgician Girl."

"Ooh! It's so pretty! I want it!" Serenity gushed. She bought that card, as well as several other traps and magic cards at Yugi's suggestion.

"Now I have almost thirty cards!" I said happily as we sat at a small table in the apartment over the game shop. "Just wondering... are there any cards really strong, powerful enough to beat maybe... a blue-eyes white dragon?"

Yugi stared at me questionably. "Why do you ask?" He asked.

"Just curious."

"Well," Yugi explained, "There are some magic cards that have effects that drain a monster's attack power, so they're easier to defeat. There are other cards that can destroy a monster, or all of them on the field." He retrieved his deck from his book bag and sat down again. "Like this one."

"Dark Hole," I read the title on the card aloud. "Destroys all monsters on the field. That would be pretty effective for knocking out a blue-eyes."

"Yeah, but it also destroys all the monsters on your side of the field, too." Yugi took the card out of his deck and put it in mine. "Now you have the perfect strategy for taking on a blue-eyes, if you ever do."

"Thank you so much!" I said happily as we talked about duel monsters, and then I bought several more cards. I left right before dinner with a full deck of 43 cards, with 25 monsters (mostly fairies), 10 magic cards, and 8 trap cards. I felt confident about my deck. With a little practice, I could be a really good duelist.

I walked home happily, and then decided to get fast food from a teriyaki ramen vendor. I ate the noodles and chicken on my way home.

When I reached my apartment, in a small but not too grungy complex, I noticed for the first time the looming building of KaibaCorp. 'That's his company,' I thought. The building seemed so dark and so lonely... just like the man who worked there.

A/N: Yeah, I thought this chapter would be longer, but this seems like a good ending point. Do you think it's a good idea to swap POV's? Also, in case I didn't mention, everyone but Serenity is a senior in High School, and Serenity is a junior. (Japanese High School only has 3 grades, 10-12.)

Another thing, did everyone expect Seto to kiss Serenity? HAHA! Naw, I think it's too soon for that. But I don't want to make this fanfic too cheesy or anything.

Remember, reviews put a smile on my face and a new chapter in yours,

Sakura Takanouchi


	3. Chapter Three

Reviews make me so happy! And I'm always willing for a comment or two to help keep this story rolling along. Although I am the type to just keep on writing no matter if anyone reviews or not... Just ignore that last bit. (don't own YGO)

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Three

"Uh... Why are we here?" I asked as we walked along Fifth Street in downtown Domino.

"You'll find out later," my companion replied. We rounded the corner and there stood this monstrous glass building with tons of people inside and out. It was some sort of party. Elegant women in evening gowns and cocktail dresses sipped champagne with dashing men. There was a live band, and several couples were dancing.

"Suddenly, my companion threw off his cloak to reveal a black and red tuxedo. My clothes felt soft to the touch and I looked down. Somehow I was now dressed in a beautiful red evening gown! I looked at my feet, and they were clad in glass slippers.

My companion led me into the room and we started to dance. It was a slow song, not lively, but we made a good pair. After a song, I suggested sitting down in one of the tables, but my companion insisted into taking me into a long hallway adjacent to the ballroom.

"Why did you take me to this?" I asked as we entered the privacy of the hallway.

"Because, Serenity…" my companion answered, and for the first time I saw the face of my companion. I looked into the cruel eyes and smirking smile of Seto Kaiba. "You are mine..."

"AAAH!" I sat up in bed, gasping for breath. I looked around me. I was in my room, everything was normal, and I was in my pajamas... not some red silk evening gown.

That was some dream. What was Seto Kaiba doing in my dream? And what was I doing in my dream? I looked at my clock. It was 4:40 in the morning. I sighed and rolled over, attempting to regain the hour I had to sleep. 'Seto Kaiba, you've taken over my thoughts during the day, but leave me at peace during the night!' I thought as I drifted back into dreamland.

My alarm clock woke me roughly at 5:40 with its shrill incessant beeping. I rolled over and out of bed, taking my covers with me. "Alright, I'm up!" I told my alarm clock and promptly unplugged it.

I decided to put my hair in French braids, and spent more time than usual on my choice of jewelry and accessories. If I was going to spend today battling against Seto Kaiba, I might as well do it looking my best. At least I had Gym Class last.

At lunchtime I waved to Yugi, who was eating his lunch in his usual place. We talked about Duel Monsters, and I learned about tributes and about the different types of magic cards.

"So," I began, "If I have these two cards on the field, and this magic card in my hand, then I can fuse them together?" I asked hesitantly as I placed my new 'Polymerization' Card on our makeshift 'Field.'

"Yup!" Yugi replied. "You should enter one of the local tournaments, for more practice. My Grandpa knows a lot about the upcoming tournaments."

'I think I'll do just that,' I thought. 'The sooner I get used to competition, the sooner you'll know what it means to lose, Seto Kaiba.'

Before I knew it, I was rushing down to the locker rooms for gym class. I had finally gotten Domino High's Gym uniform, which was basically the same as any other, a white ringed T-shirt with my class number on it, and really short navy shorts.

"Listen up, class." Our gym instructor, Imato-sensei, told us as we sat down on the gym bleachers across from him.

"The culture festival is coming up, and it has been decided that everyone will participate under their last class, instead of their homeroom. Clear?" Imato-sensei looked around the faces of the students, whose reactions differed from shocked to happy.

"Score!" Kaleigh gave a high-five to Tomohiko, obviously glad of the switch.

All I could think was, "Now I have to work with Seto. This is gonna really be a bummer. Oh well."

"Now," Imato-sensei continued, "We need to have two class representatives to decide what we're going to do, etc. I have chosen the two that, since this is gym class, have the highest grade and athletic aptitude in this class. I have chosen Serenity Wheeler and Seto Kaiba.

'Dammit!' I thought, fuming. 'I can't work with him! He'll just want to do things his way.'

"Hey, congrats," Tomohiko said. "Imato-sensei was right to choose you. You're really athletic and now you get to work with Seto, that guy you were flirting with yesterday!"

"I was not flirting with him!" I yelled, and then looked around, embarrassed, since everyone was starting at me. Seto looked at me with a smirk and his eyes glittered.

CHANGE POV! (SETO'S)

Crap. They had just called my name to do a leadership role for my class. Don't they get that I'm not into that stuff? I blanched as I heard the other name called. Serenity Wheeler. Serenity. The same Serenity who had rescued, or should I say, 'helped', me a few days ago. But her last name remained unknown to me. Until now.

I knew fairly well her older brother, Joey. How could I not? That damn puppy was always starting fights he could never win. His sister was just like him. But she seemed to inherit more desirable traits than her brother. I wasn't sure if he even had any desirable traits. I don't know what that other duelist, Mai, sees in him.

This changes everything. And now Serenity's embarrassing herself again, spouting nonsense as she usually does. But at least, now it was interesting nonsense.

CHANGE POV! (SERENITY'S)

We spent the rest of the day playing dodgeball, much to my resentment. In fact, my anger at the world caused me to start taking out my frustration on the dodgeballs, flinging them at the other team, winning the game.

"See? You are more athletic than you let on!" Kaleigh encouraged. I looked at my feet, not knowing what to say.

'No one here knows it's just an act. That I've been lucky so far. I can't play basketball to save myself. I can't play anything else to save myself. Although I may have to save myself soon.' My thoughts wandered, as did my concentration on the game.

I came back to reality when a ball hit me square on the head. I looked around, dazed, and saw Seto's grinning face. "Gotcha," he whispered.

I reluctantly walked out of the game, and sat down on the sidelines with everyone else who got knocked out.

My team lost the game, and then class ended. Imato-sensei requested that both Seto and I meet with him, and so we stayed behind. "Now," He said, " We need you two to come up with whatever our class will do by this Friday. Do either of you have any ideas?"

"A martial arts tournament," Seto suggested.

"Carnival Games," was my idea.

"Carnival games! An excellent and inexpensive idea. You two can meet up later to discuss the details. See you!" Imato-sensei left us in the Gym.

"Look, it's not my problem that we were both picked to run these 'carnival games', so don't expect me to do anything." Seto turned to leave, but my hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Please just deal with it," I insisted. "We need a sponsor if we're gonna pull this off, as well as your input. I really shouldn't have been chosen for this. Please?" I begged.

Seto's perpetual smirk widened. "How fitting it is to your station to be begging to me," he said.

"Watch it…" I cautioned, and then changed my tone of voice. "Seriously, I really didn't have the aptitude to have been chosen. So you can't walk out on this!"

"I knew that athletic side of you was just a façade," he said.

"It was just a lucky break or two piled on top of loads of exaggeration and misunderstanding," I admitted.

"So, you're saying... is that I'm a better athlete than you?"

"Yes." At my remark, Seto's smirk left him, feeling only confusion. 'I won! So why do I feel so depressed?' He sat down on the bleachers, and I joined him. "So, why aren't you good at sports? You can be, I've seen it."

"Oh…" I answered. "It's just, that… ever since my parents got divorced, and I went to live with my mom, I've never gotten into any. My mom really isn't athletic at all. And then I started losing my eyesight…" Seto then leaned closer to me and looked into my eyes. I saw clearly every detail on his smooth face and deep blue eyes, for the first time devoid of any cruel intentions.

"Your eyes look fine to me," he said. I blinked and broke his stare.

"Yes, my eyesight has returned to normal ever since my eye surgery. Yugi gave Joey the prize money from the Duelist Kingdom tournament, and he used it to pay for my surgery."

"It must have been difficult, with your parents divorced, as well as your eyesight failing you." Seto stretched his arm and placed it around my shoulder. I leaned into him, grateful for the comfort he offered.

"It must have been tough for you, too," I said, breaking the silence that followed his last comment.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I know it must be hard on you to run your company at such a young age." I explained.

"I have a little brother," Seto commented. I wasn't sure if he was trying to change to subject or if he was just talking.

"Really? What's his name?"

"Mokuba." After that, another long silence settled down upon us. I shifted my weight and stood up to look at my watch. "I'm sorry, Seto, but I have to go."

"Don't."

"Huh?"

"Don't go." Seto reached for my hand and pulled me back towards him. Unfortunately, this jerking caused me to fall into his lap instead of on the bleacher beside him. I must have looked shocked, but Seto said nothing. Instead, holding me with one arm and gently pushing several strands of my hair back with the other, his head leaned down and he kissed me powerfully on the mouth.

I tried to fight temptation, but it was hard not to resist him. He kissed me again and again, now moving to my neck. I felt my skin start to burn, but I was powerless against him. He held me strongly, and there was no way I could escape.

I could not do this. It just wasn't right. I screamed, "No!" and as I felt his grip on me loosen, I tore away from him and ran out of the gym, leaving a confused Seto sitting alone in the gym.

POV CHANGE! (SETO'S)

'Why did she do that?' I thought, standing up, the door still swinging. 'Why did I do that? She is a Wheeler, someone far below me. And yet, I can't stop thinking about her. We've been arguing nonstop for the past few days, and now I had to go and kiss her. Dammit, what's wrong with me!'

I sat back down, amazed. 'Now its going to get complicated working on the festival.' I stood up and started walking towards the exit. "Carnival games, my ass," I said before leaving.

POV CHANGE! (SERENITY'S)

After I had left, I didn't have enough time to go to Yugi's after school, because I was seeing the new Miyazaki movie with Tomohiko. I did have enough time to change out of my uniform into street clothes, however. I made sure to wear a turtleneck shirt, hiding the blistered skin on my neck. We got a bite to eat at a small café near the cinemas. I had so much fun that I forgot about Seto Kaiba... and about that kiss.

That night, I lay in bed all night just thinking about it. 'First all we do is argue, and then he kisses me?' I thought. 'It's not like that was my first kiss or anything. Whatever. I just really don't want to go to school tomorrow.'

I dreaded it so much that I finally passed out at 1 in the morning. I was no happy camper 5 hours later. I could barely lift a finger until I had brewed some coffee. Then I zinged around my apartment, getting everything in order. Then, I began to drag myself to school.

A/N: Hi everybody! I love you all, and your reviews really get me through these chapters, but I wasn't expecting to see this much of a reaction from the dueling parts of this fic. Wow! Just to let you guys know, I wasn't planning on doing that much dueling, and to focus on Serenity and Kaiba, but since it gets such a positive feedback from you guys, I'll definetly try to get some in by chapter four or five. But still, I hope you guys like this chapter. I'll get to writing the next one as soon as I get a few reviews. Come on, people! You know you want to review!

Also, for rating purposes, I know there's the whole 'language bit' and 'romance bit' to consider, but I just like writing PG-13 fics. I guess that's a good rating for this.

One more thing: Is everyone ok with the chapter lengths I've been doing? I know they'res gonna be some variety in chapter length, but I'll write longer chapters if that's cool with everyone. It's just that short-chaptered fics annoy me. How about you guys?


	4. Chapter Four

These disclaimers at the beginning of every chapter annoy me, so I may just have a random author blurb in here somewhere. Don't own YGO-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhhhhh!

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Four

On my way over, my cell phone started ringing. "Hello?" I answered.

"It's me." I recognized Seto Kaiba's voice instantly.

"What is it?" My voice seemed a little too harsh to me, but inside I was screaming, 'Why did you call?'

"About… the festival. How about meeting at my place at four, after school, to work on … …" Seto's voice wandered.

"Stuff?"

"Something like that."

"I'll be there." I responded.

__

Click.

'Now I've got to find out a way to get into his house without anyone, especially Joey, seeing me,' I thought as I walked. I knew where the Kaiba mansion was. I had driven by it when I had first came to Domino. I had wondered, 'Who could live in such a huge mansion?' Back then, I had known nothing of its owner.

Tomohiko joined me at the school gate. "I heard from Imato-sensei about your idea. It's great!" She talked enthusiastically about the festival. "I heard that the art class is putting on an exhibition, and the drama class will be performing a play."

"That's great, I really want to see them," I replied.

"Yeah, and most of the academic classes are selling food. But we have the whole gym to decorate like a carnival!" She gushed happily.

"Yeah… hey, why don't you and Kaleigh help me with the carnival theme by figuring out decorations for the booths and stuff like that?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" She said. "I'm also sure that the girl's volleyball team could help us out, since Kaleigh was complaining about that yesterday."

"Good idea!"

"Do you want to meet up after school? We could go shopping for material and other stuff." Tomohiko looked at me. I frowned and shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going over to Seto's house so we can work on the carnival. Imato-sensei did put us both in charge, so I can't do anything drastic without letting him know…you know?"

"Suuuuuure…" She replied, rolling her eyes. "Just an excuse to see him yourself. Fine then. Have fun at his _mansion_." She strolled into a different building than the one I was headed into.

I felt my face heat up even though I wasn't even talking to Tomohiko anymore. 'We quarrel so much, I couldn't possibly like him! But… I'll be at his house, all alone… except with his little brother, but, if he kissed me in an empty gym, then I can't imagine what he might do in an empty house… or excuse me, _mansion_.' My face was burning red as I walked to the nearest bathroom, aware of the odd stares I was receiving.

I entered the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face. Thankfully, I was alone in the bathroom. I shivered, and hugged myself, looking into the mirror.

I stared at myself until the bell rang, and even then barely noticing it. 'Am I someone men would find attractive?' I thought, remembering the incident that had caused me to finally move to Domino.

I had unwittingly talked to an overly outgoing man on the bus going home from school, and he had started stalking me. Not wanting to tell my mother for fear of alarming her, and also as he had threatened me, I decided that moving to Domino to be with my brother was safer.

After school, and after a horribly close call with a basketball, I changed quickly and began the 20-minute walk to the Kaiba Mansion. I was walking along when I noticed a black limousine following me. I began breaking into a cold sweat. Could this be another stalker…? I had heard plenty about the crime rate in Domino, but this was a high-class part of town; I had not thought about this before I began my walk.

I started to walk faster, but out of my peripheral vision, I saw it speeding up to match my pace. I tried to inconspicuously start jogging, but the limo kept with my pace, with every street I crossed and jogged down.

I could swear my heart stopped beating when the car sped up to drive in front of me, and then stopped. Now I could feel my heart beating, but it was pounding in my chest. 'Oh my God…' I thought, panicking. 'What's going to happen to me?'

The front window rolled down, and I gasped. "Get in the car, we'll get to the mansion a lot quicker," Seto Kaiba said from the driver's seat of the limousine.

I weakly nodded, feeling like a fool. I climbed into the passenger seat of the limo, and an awkward silence rose between us.

"Why did you start running back there?" Seto asked, breaking the silence. I wished he hadn't. I would rather have sat in silence than had Seto Kaiba think me a fool. But…he probably did, anyway.

"Oh…It's nothing. Just a…paranoia." My voice wavered as I spoke.

"Let me guess. Of stalkers and black limousines?" Seto laughed out loud. "Trust me, all of the limos in this city belong to me, in one way or another."

I felt a little reassured, but I was happy to pass through the gated lawn leading to the Kaiba mansion. I looked outside my window, impressed. My 5-room apartment at home would no way compare to this.

Seto parked the car and we got out. I entered the huge entry hall, and spent at least a minute gawking.

"Try not to drool on anything, Wheeler," Seto said. "Most of the antiques in this mansion cost more than your life's savings."

"It's…beautiful." I chose to ignore his comment and stared up at the atrium caused by the overlapping of each floor opening into a grand staircase leading into this room. "Tell me, have you never stopped to consider the beauty of your surroundings?"

He looked at me with expressionless eyes, a stare I wanted to break. "Let's just get this over with," I said.

He led me into a living room twice the size of mine, complete with a plasma TV and air hockey table. I sank down comfortably into an oversized couch. I retrieved a notebook from my book bag and a pen, to take notes.

"I think, that since we have almost the whole gym to use, we can set up a full-blown midway, with games, contests, and food," I started. Seto said nothing, just kept staring at me.

"Do you have any ideas?" I asked, annoyed. 'If I'm going to get all mood-swingy on him, I should've taken Midol,' I thought.

Seto merely grunted, which I took as 'no'. "It's your show," he said.

"No, It's not," I insisted. "I told you, I shouldn't have been picked to do this. To pull this off, we need financing, and we need your input."

"We need?" He asked, leaning back into an armchair. "Or you need."

"Both, I guess," I replied. "Do you have any ideas of arcade or carnival games that we could put together in about a month?"

Seto stood up and motioned for me to follow him. We entered a room filled with electronic games. A snowboarding game stood in the corner. Dance Dance Revolution was near the door. Several racing games lined up against a far wall. I gaped at the sight.

"Wow…" was all I could say. "You have DDR? I never thought of you as the dancing type."

I could almost detect a faint blush soften his features. "It's Mokuba's," he replied.

"Well, I guess that settles the arcade front," I said, "If you're willing to lend the school a few of these."

He nodded, and left the arcade room. Back in the living room, I resumed talking. I just had to fill the empty void Seto was creating in this room.

"What kind of carnival games did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Well, the usual. There's the duck pull, the balloon dart game, random target games, like throw the ring over the bottle game, bowling, and a basketball shoot." I paused, looking up from the notebook to glance sheepishly at Seto. "That's all I came up with."

"That's enough, for now," he replied, and just then, we heard the sound of the front door opening. A young voice called out, "Seto, I'm home!" And I turned to see a kid dressed in a blue Rugby shirt and baggy jeans leaning in the doorframe.

He had long raven locks and piercing violet eyes. "Are you Mokuba?" I asked. "I'm Serenity."

He started bug-eyed at Seto. "You've never brought anyone over before," he said in a small voice.

"Your point?" Seto asked coldly. Mokuba shrugged and walked into the game room we had just been in.

"So that's your little brother," I commented. "He's cute!" Seto looked uncomfortable until I changed the topic to the festival.

"We could also get a few clubs to help us, with selling stuff like snow cones and other foods. We could offer American Cuisine, as an alternative to the traditional food most of the other clubs are going to sell."

"Sounds good to me," Seto replied.

"One other thing… do you mind if some of my friends and I go out to buy material for the booths?"

"Booths?"

"Yeah," I said, "The food, and games must be put inside booths. Well, except for the basketball shoot, and we'll think of something for that."

"I'll get volunteers to help with the construction and lighting," he added.

"And I'll get donations to buy the prizes and the little duckies for the duck pull!" I said. Then, suddenly, I started laughing. Seto stared at me, a mixture of confusion and his usual look of contempt marking his face.

"Why… are you laughing?" He asked cautiously. 'Heh…he probably thinks I'm laughing at him,' I thought.

"It's just… that we've been constantly fighting until today, and we're totally in sync now. I mean, have you run out of insults or something?"

"Nah," he crossed his arms and stared at me incredulously. "Hey, Wheeler---"

"How did you know my last name?" I stood up and moved to where my book bag lay on the floor, struggling to get something out of it. I wanted to do anything to escape that stare. And yet I yearned to lose myself in those ice blue eyes again.

"Our gym teacher," I hadn't noticed until then that he was standing over me. I felt his hand under my chin, willing me to stand up, although my height in no way matched his.

"You were saying earlier?" I asked, smiling at him and absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair in my fingers.

"You're right. We are in sync," He said, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me towards him. I looked into his eyes, knowing full well what he was going to do. But I did not say anything. I closed my eyes and let him kiss me.

POV CHANGE! (SETO'S)

I don't know what was coming over me. One minute, I was rational as ever. The next, I've got Serenity pinned to the wall and I can't stop. I've come to grips with it; I know I want her. I can't stop myself. When she ran her fingers through her beautiful auburn hair, I wanted to feel that same sensation. I just know there better not be a kissing booth at that festival.

What I didn't know was that through the keyhole in the door, my little brother was spying on us. He finally looked away, giving back what little privacy we had in the first place. "Go, Seto," he whispered.

POV CHANGE! (SERENITY'S)

I finally had to stop kissing him, or else I was going to faint from lack of air. But that wouldn't be too bad if Seto knew CPR. I giggled, which made him stop. He was pushing me against the wall, but I didn't mind. I reached up to touch his shiny brown hair when I paused. "Why doesn't anyone call you Seto?"

He seemed taken aback, but he enjoyed the feeling of my fingers running through his hair, I could tell. "I dunno. I don't think the name suits me very well."

"Well, I'm going to call you Seto," I decided, holding onto the last strands of hair that fell down his neck. "Maybe I'll even come up with some cute nickname for you--"

Seto silenced me by another kiss. He moved towards me, filling in the space that was between us. I felt like I my lungs were going to burst, but I never broke his kiss. Then, I faintly heard my call phone ringing through my bag. I was trying to break the kiss and move away from him, but I couldn't, as his arms were pressed against the wall on both sides of me.

"Seto, I…" I started, but he put a finger over my lips and kissed me again, quickly. He released me and I reached my bag by the fourth ring. "Hello? Oh, hi, Joey! What? You and Mai? Seriously? That's great, Joey! Yeah, I'll be by there in 20 minutes, ok? Bye!" I turned to Seto sadly. "I've got to be outta here…"

"I know, in twenty minutes," he said, angry that her dog of a brother had interrupted them.

"Seto, will you give me a ride to my brother's apartment?" I asked.

"No."

"Come on, please? It's not very safe around my brother's apartment, and it's a very special occasion for him. Please?"

"I refuse to do anything for that mutt."

"Mutt? You don't mean--" My eyes lost all of their pleading looks and my expression turned into one of anger. "Don't call Joey that!"

"Why not? He is far beneath me, so I'll call him whatever I like. Besides..." He stopped to stare at me with his trademark emotionless face and glittering eyes, "I think the name suits him quite well."

"Kaiba, you're such a jerk!" I would've slapped him, but the difference in our heights wouldn't have made for much of the dramatic effect that I desired. "I'm leaving…and I don't want a ride." I walked quickly to the door and opened it, preparing for the long walk down the perfectly manicured lawns of the Kaiba Mansion.

I was halfway to Joey's apartment when I realized that I had left my bookbag, and my phone, at Kaiba's place. 'Now I'm going to have to call him.'

I reached Joey's apartment five minutes late, since the walk wasn't too bag. I just never thought to compensate for the walk from his house to the gate, which was why I was late. I ran to the front door of Joey's second floor apartment and rung the bell. It was answered by a cheerful woman in a tight white tank top and purple denim jacket. A short black skirt and boots completed the ensemble.

"Mai! It's great to see you!" I said as she let me in. "I couldn't believe it when Joey told me earlier on the phone!"

"Yeah, great too see you too, kiddo," She said jokingly. "Although I have to admit, It took your brother long enough…" We both laughed and Joey came over to us with a huge bear hug.

"You're late!" He said, smiling to show that he wasn't angry.

" I'm so happy that you and Mai are finally a couple!" I smiled, and Joey looked flustered.

"Yeah… well…I'm hungry, so let's eat!" We all piled into his beat-up old Mitsubishi and headed for Nakato's, our favorite Japanese Restaurant. We had a great dinner, and I could tell without looking that Mai and Joey were holding hands under the table.

I left as soon as we got home, as I knew that Joey looked like he needed some alone time with Mai.

Joey had let me take my old scooter from his garage, and riding it home took less time that if I had just been walking. I unlocked the front door and dragged the scooter inside. Shutting the door behind me, I finally realized that I had left my bag, and my phone, at Seto's house! I decided to check the answering machine to see if he had left a message. I had three messages.

The first was from Seto: "Hey, Serenity? I'm calling, to, well… I'm sorry for what I said, ok? You also left your bag at my house. It's got some of your books in it, so I'll get it to you before your first class tomorrow, all right? Also, we need to meet during lunch to decide what we're going to tell the gym class tomorrow. See ya."

The second, Serenity couldn't quite place the voice, but he identified himself right away. "Uh…it this thing on? Oh, hi, Serenity! It's Mokuba. Sorry, I stole your phone after Seto used it to call you. He really likes you, I can tell. So wear your hair down tomorrow! And wear blue. He likes that color. Okay, see you around later!"

The third, the speaker never identified himself, but the sound of his voice brought chills to my whole body: "I know you're here… and I'm coming for you….."

A/N: Now try to guess who that dude is? Can ya? Well, all shall be explained in the next chapter. Do you think I'm taking their "relationship" too fast? Or too slow? First, let me explain something. Serenity did have a boyfriend before she moved to Domino, so she's not going to be all, "Oh my gosh, Seto stole my first kiss!" I find that a little cheesy, especially since she's 16 years old. And Seto…? Well, he knows he wants her, like he said in this chapter. Serenity just doesn't know her feelings yet. Also, in this fic, Mai is going to be 18. So she can drive, but she can't drink. Or can she…?

But I'm definitely kicking up the pace for chapter five, which will be up shortly, I promise!


	5. Chapter Five

Did I ever mention I don't own Yu-gi oh? Next lawsuit!

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Five

I knew well the voice, which haunted my nightmares and willed me to escape to Domino. He had followed me here. I looked around my room, panicking. 'If he knows my phone number, he must know where I live…' My apartment was in a fairly well off district of Domino, and it had a police station one block away.

I know I should have felt safe, but I couldn't get to sleep. Not after that phone call. Who knows when he'll decide to show himself. I needed to surround myself with my friends… and I knew that with my brother around, no one could come near me. But that didn't stop me from staying awake all night.

In the morning, I finally passed out around four. I groggily got dressed and made some coffee. Then, I noticed a car's incessant beeping. I looked out of the window. The car was a limo, and it had KaibaCorp flags!

I hurriedly brushed my teeth and ran outside. There, Kaiba leaned nonchalantly against the hood of the limo. "Here's your bag…" he said awkwardly.

"I got your message," I said. "Hey, are you going to give me a ride to school?"

"I guess so," he said, and we both got into the car. After a few minutes of driving, I noticed a Starbucks. My energy level was negative, and I desperately needed a caffeine shot.

"Seto, can we stop at that Starbucks for a minute?" I asked. He pulled into the parking lot, which proved to be quite difficult.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, for once letting his emotionless face slip and he actually looked concerned.

"It's just… nothing. A phone call. Relax, it wasn't yours," I said, laughing at Seto's expression.

"You really look tired. How about we blow off first period, and you tell me about it over a cup of coffee?" He said, taking the keys out of the ignition.

"That sounds…really good. Thank you," I got out of the limo and waited for him to follow. When he didn't, I poked my head into the open window.

"You're forgetting this is a limo," he said, opening the backseat door. I climbed inside, and sank comfortably into the leather seats. Seto handed me a KaibaCorp mug of rich, black coffee. "We have a machine built in that makes ten times better coffee than Starbuck's." I drank one cup, and he refilled it. "Now tell me what's on your mind."

"Alright." I stared into Seto's eyes, which were not cold and heartless as usual, but warm and comforting.

"I moved not only to Domino City to be with my brother and to live by myself, but I also came to escape from someone. I was being stalked, so I came here to get away from that. But, I got a phone call last night, after yours-" I cradled the coffee and took a long sip. "He's back."

Seto's blue eyes flared with anger, rage, and … jealousy? "Why didn't you tell me this before?" He growled. He set his coffee down in the cup holder and grasped my shoulders. "I'm getting the best security KaibaCorp can offer to protect you, so you'll never have to think of him again. " I couldn't help noticing the way he said _him_, like it was some sort of disease. He hugged me tightly and possessively, which actually made me feel better. I had never felt this safe before. I sighed as he released me, and I looked at him and said, "You're the first person I've ever told about this. He…threatened me so I couldn't tell anyone."

"Don't even think about him. I'll make sure no one harms you."

"Thank you." I didn't know what else to say. I felt so… calm. This is the Seto that I knew would protect me, but not smother me like my brother. Joey! I had completely forgotten about him. I had seen the way he had tensed up when I had asked about him. Kaiba was silent, just staring out of the window, as if he was watching, protecting me, even now. I wanted to forget everything around me and dream, dream about anything. My life is getting way too complicated.

"So shall we go back to class?" Seto asked. "I'll pick you up after school if you like."

"I'd like that." I answered, smiling gratefully at him. We arrived at school a few minutes later. I had finished my second cup of coffee and was feeling a lot better. Now the only person I had to worry about was Joey.

Yugi sat in the third seat in the third row, the exact middle of the classroom. And he didn't mind, really. But today, his thoughts wandered to topics he had rarely addressed in his mind. 'Serenity…' he thought, twisting the chain on which his Millennium Puzzle hung. 'Why did she stop coming to duel with me? I miss her…' then his Yami came forth, as always, when he sensed that Yugi was troubled.

'Perhaps you care for her more than you know,' he told Yugi.

'Perhaps,' Yugi said, his thoughts dissipating as he concentrated on his schoolwork.

At lunch, Joey wasted no time in coming up to Yugi, who was sitting in his usual spot, eating a sandwich.

"Have you talked to Serenity today?" He asked.

"Sorry, Joey. In fact, she hasn't even come by the game shop in days. I wonder why…" Yugi stared at his sandwich and took another bite.

"I'm her brother, I should know where she is at all times!" Joey said angrily.

"Calm down, Joey. She's probably just eating lunch with her own friends," Yugi said calmly.

"Since when do you see so much of her, anyways?" Joey asked, suspicious.

"Oh! I've been teaching her how to play Duel Monsters over the past week, and she's been coming by the game shop to get new cards. But she hasn't come by in awhile…" Yugi looked downwards in an attempt to hide look of sadness on his face.

"That's great that you're teaching her how to play Duel Monsters!" Joey smiled good-naturedly. "Now I've got to go find Serenity. Maybe we can all duel together sometime. Later!" And then Joey walked back into the main building, searching for Serenity.

Yugi sighed and took a bottle of water from his lunch box. 'I guess… I do enjoy the time we spend together more than I let on,' he thought. From a distance, his Yami smiled.

"So, do you want to give the speech or should I?" I asked as we sat down to eat our lunches. Being the leaders for our gym class, we had requested an indoor lunch so we could plan our huge meeting.

"You do it," Seto said.

"Sure," I replied. "Now, coach just wanted me to remind you that the lumber is in the storage closet along with the paint and decorations I'd bought. And if we wanted to use a portable basketball hoop, or the one that lowers from the ceiling, we'll have less space for everything else."

"But we mapped it out perfectly. The snacks and arcade will take up the most room," Seto argued. "We'll have enough space only if we use a portable hoop and stick it to the wall, or to a booth."

"Okay," I said, smiling. The culture festival was really coming along, and so far we had gotten the volleyball team and the basketball teams to help with the food.

"Now, we also have to talk about volunteers for working shifts at the booths. Of course, the arcade games and rides do not need constant supervision, we just want to make sure nothing gets stolen or broken."

Seto had no lunch, but I couldn't help noticing the bandages on his fingers as I ate. "Seto, what happened?"

"Had a late night working," he replied. But I remained concerned. I reached out and took his hand. When I ran a finger over his bandaged hand, he shuddered. "It hurts, you know."

"You shouldn't be working late like that," I said, massaging his hand. "You're the CEO, get someone else to do it."

"Everyone else are incompetent and untrustworthy. I can't expect them to do anything greater than their work contract, or promote someone to handle the things I trust no one else with."

"Maybe your standards are set too high," I said, setting his hand down. I then glanced out of the windows looking into the courtyard and caught a glimpse of my brother. "I think we can call this meeting adjourned," I said, standing up. "I see my brother."

Seto said nothing, just let me go. He sat in the classroom, not moving, not speaking, until the afternoon bell rang.

"Okay, class!" I announced during the gym class meeting. "We have about three weeks before the culture festival. Construction will occur during the week before the festival during this class and after school. Seto and I have mapped out the gym into different areas. There will be an arcade, carnival games, and food stands. I have a sign-up sheet here. If you are in a club, you do not have to sign up. We would appreciate it if most of you do sign up, so that we can give you shifts and you can explore the festival. Any questions?"

The students were talking amongst themselves, and I stepped back and turned to w here Imato-sensei and Seto were standing.

"Any of you who would like to help with after-school construction, just check the box by your name on the sign-up sheet," Imato-sensei said.

We then played basketball until gym was over. We didn't change for gym that day, but I hung around the gym so I could talk to Seto.

"I'm sorry, I can't do anything after school today," I said, pulling on my backpack and standing up. "Joey's meeting me and we're going downtown to some of the dueling rooms. Yugi's been teaching me to duel, and he said I should get more dueling experience."

"Oh, so is that why you were always running off, to spend time with Yugi? Well, I was going to tell you that I have to work, so go to your brother." Seto crossed his arms and turned away from me.

"Fine! I will!" I said, and started walking towards the main gym entrance. Seto watched me leave. 'I shouldn't run after her, she's got more men than sense.' He thought. 'And if she doesn't give them up, I'll make it easier for her.'

"Joey!" I cried as I ran up to him and threw my arms around him.

"Ready to go downtown?" He asked. I nodded, and we got into his beat-up car and drove to downtown Domino. It's not much, just about twenty blocks of developed buildings and parks. The KaibaCorp tower is by far the tallest building in Domino.

We parked on the main street of downtown, and Joey told me of several dueling rooms he knew of only several blocks away.

"This one's for novice duelers like you, so let's go in," Joey led me into a room filled with tables, where people were dueling each other. It wasn't fancy holographic projections, like I had seen in my brother's duels, but I liked it this way better.

Joey introduced me to several of his dueling friends who were there, and told me to take a seat at the beginner's table. I did, and then another duelist sat down in the chair across from me and asked if I wanted to duel!

"My name's Kira," She said amiably. "Is this your first duel?" I nodded. "I've been dueling here for a few weeks, and this place really does strengthen your dueling skills. So let's start!"

She flipped a coin, and I called it right, so I went first. I pulled five cards from my deck to my hand, and stared at them. 'Let's see… Yugi always told me that if I don't have any high attack monsters my first turn, then I should put something in defense. And I can put magic and trap cards face down as well.' I noticed that 'The Forgiving Maiden' was in my hand, so I put it face down on the field. "One card face down, and that is all." I said. Inside I was happy. It's my first duel!

Kira studied the cards in her hand, and then put a monster in attack mode on the field, but did not attack me. It was a good move, since her monster had less attack points than mine had defense points. Joey watched my first few moves, but then began to wander around the tables, occasionally giving pointers and advice. He became known as "The kid who came in second at Duelist Kingdom," much to his and my amusement.

We played out the duel, and I learned lots of interesting things about Kira. She was considerably older than me, a sophomore at Domino College, and she seemed to be the most talented of the duelists there.

I ended up losing the duel by three hundred life points, but I had made some moves I considered very clever, and she had told me so. It was a "teaching game" 1 anyway, so I didn't mind losing. I left with Joey, and we walked together down to an ice cream shop and bought double-scoop cones. We ate them while staring at the street, watching the people go by.

"I saw some of your duel," Joey commented. "You looked really good. I'm proud of you, sis."

I nodded and smiled, licking my ice cream happily. I now had a place where I was welcomed, and I could come back whenever I wanted. Although the culture festival kept me really busy, I was sure I'd be able to spend some time there in the future.

Just now, all I had to worry about was the present.

A/N

So, I need some feedback! Yeah, that was a real soggy attempt at her dueling, but you guys don't know how boring a read that stuff is until you try to write it! But I may put in some more, since its getting such a positive effect. Does dueling emit rays of happiness for you people? I think that school stuff, and Seto/Serenity stuff is more interesting, but so have ye!

Also, another topic I have failed to address: How many people are even in the tiniest bit favoring a Serenity/Yugi pairing? WARNING! Just because I say this doesn't mean I intend to put it in this fic! I may, or I may write a totally different fic about that! But I just wanted to know, ya know?

1: Ever read Shonen Jump's Hikaru no Go? Well, a teaching game is one where the more experienced one wins narrowly, and shows their opponent some good strategies. Normally beginners start with playing teaching games to see how they can fully utilize their deck.

Two more things: Kira is no one in particular, I just take my OC names from manga that I have written. (Yes, I write manga). Last but maybe the most important, or not however you look at it: For those who read my other fic Meaningful Simplicity: Act 5 is the last one, story-wise. But I've hinted so much at extra chapters its not even funny.

Expect Chapter Six up soon, but school is very time-consuming,

Sakura Takanouchi


	6. Chapter Six

Hey ya! Welcome to this installment of the Fire and Ice saga of Seto and Serenity. What an alliteration! Well, I'm really in a writing mood, so I'll make this chapter long and meaty.

There's this really good fic called…crap, I forgot what it was called, but it totally sparked my interest for writing! As did my B on my summer essay, but…hey.

Fire and Ice

By: Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Six

"Yeah, the boards go over there…No, Tachikawa-sama, use the other end of the saw…and be careful, you're going to cut your fingers off…" It was the next day, or the day of our huge meeting for the culture festival. The gym was our construction site, and we were making the wooden frames that would house the different venues.

"Hey, Wheeler, got a minute?" Seto asked, leaning over the blueprints of the carnival.

"What is it, Kaiba," I answered annoyedly. I emphasized his last name, but he didn't notice. In fact, he looked as frazzled as I was.

"We're dangerously close to running out of nails," He informed me, quickly looking over the blueprints. "And the measurements of the snack stand are off. We're wasting lumber."

"Stop the press," I said sarcastically. "We're _dangerously _close to making a correctable mistake." Seto smirked at me. "And how do we solve it?"

I took a pencil and drew a few lines over the sketch of the prize counter. "We minimize this stand by the same scale the other one was increased, just we add shelves in the bottom, and store extra prizes there. We'll also use one of the storage closets to store additional prizes so we don't run out."

Seto's smirk faded with some slight look of respect. "Maybe I didn't give you enough credit," He said. "You do know something."

"Go get some nails," I said, writing down the address of the tools store just across the street. "Don't get run over."

He said nothing, just walked out of the gym. I turned around and began to assign people to work on hemming and sewing the tent covers, which were bright striped red and yellow, with the snack stands being blue.

The end of the day bell had rung and everyone had quickly emptied out of the gym, leaving me alone, holding a hammer. "Hello?" I asked. 'Woah…talk about getting out of school early,' I thought.

"You look confused," Seto's voice caused me to turn around, where I saw him leaning against the stage of the gym. "Here's the nails."

"Yay." I unenthusiastically took the bag from him, took a nail out, and began to hammer it into a piece of wood, which was gradually taking shape into the snack stand.

"Uh…Serenity?" He asked.

"What is it?" I turned around, surprised by his tone of voice.

"Why are you still here?" He asked, coming up towards me. "School is over."

"I'm working on this booth," I said, resuming my work. "I was given a leadership position, and I intend to fulfill it." I drove the nail into the wood and got another. "What else should I do?"

Seto grabbed a basketball from a rack and dribbled it causally. "Play me. One-on-one," He said.

"But you know I suck at that," I said. Despite myself, I dropped what I was working on.

"Come on." He threw the ball at me. I caught it, and then began to dribble it up the court. The tent frames were all along the sides of the gym, so I didn't have to worry about that. Seto stood in my path, so I attempted to dribble by him. It didn't work, and he easily took the ball from me and was already on the other side of the court.

"You have to go faster than that if you're going to live up to your rep!" He said, gracefully shooting a basket.

"You make it look so easy," I panted. He threw the ball back at me. "It's 1-0," He said. "Make it a tie."

I nodded, and dribbled towards the basket. He stood in my way, so this time I turned around him, instead of trying to go around him. I was in perfect alingment with the basket, so I aimed, ready for a lay-up, but—

Seto swatted the ball out of its path and it was back in his posession. "Better," He said, "But not good enough!"

Then something inside me ticked. Maybe it was just that I didn't want him to think of me like that. Better, but not good enough. 'I'll show him,' I thought.

I found a burst of speed and slapped the ball out of his hand. It was mine, and Seto's reaction timing was off. He wasn't expecting that, and I could tell by his expression. Mine clearly read, "Gotcha!"

I dribbled the ball towards my basket as fast as I could and tossed it in. I didn't pick up the ball, just let it roll until it hit my foot. "1-1." I said with a sly smile.

We continued playing, but neither of us scored. I just managed to block all of his shots, and he stole the ball away before I even had a chance to aim. I had to score. I dribbled the ball away from the middle of the court, hoping to make a longer-distance shot. I backed up, and my foot hit something. It was a paintbrush, which caused me to become of-balance. I was going to crash right into the tent frames, freshly painted ones at that!

I heard a wooshing sound, and then a figure pushing me out of harms way. I turned my head. "Seto…" I said. He said nothing. We landed in the pile of fabric that would be used to cover the wooden frames of the booths.

I couldn't help it. I suddenly started laughing, which confused myself just as much as it did Seto. I couldn't make myself stop, even though I didn't even know how I started. In my laughter, I rolled over, content to bury myself in the colorful fabric, until I realized who I had rolled into.

Seto stared at me, unsure of what to say. I finally stopped laughing, only to see his expression and start laughing all over again. Until a young boy's voice caught my attention. I stopped mid-giggle.

"Anyone in here?" Yugi turned on all of the gym lights as he walked in the direction of my laughter. 'I distinctly thought I heard her voice,' He thought.

My eyes widened and I scrambled out of the fabric mountain. "Yugi?" I asked.

"Oh, hi, Serenity!" He said, finally seeing me from across the gym. "I thought I heard your voice."

"Yeah, I'm…working on my class project for the culture festival. What's your class doing?"

"Oh, just selling food," Yugi said. "It's not as cool as your idea…I'll sure to swing by the gym to see it."

"Thank you." I answered. Yugi looked questionably at Seto, but since I didn't say anything about it, he decided not to bring it up.

"Well, grandpa got some new cards at the game shop, so I was…ah…wondering, if you'd want to come by and look at them, sometime." Yugi stuttered. Seto looked on, amused.

"Sorry, Yugi. I'm busy, but once I'm done working, I'll swing by, ok?" Yugi nodded. "Come on, I'll walk you to the door." Seto watched us leave, but I turned my head to look at him and mouthed the words, "I'll be back, so don't go."

"Sorry, Yugi, I wish I could go, but…" I told him as soon as we were in the gym lobby and out of Seto's earshot. My voice trailed off, and Yugi nodded.

"I understand," He said, and a faint blush tinged his features.

"Huh?" I said, my reaction based on his blush. "Oh, you think? We're not like that, Yugi. We're just the leaders of our class for the culture festival. Yugi, please don't tell Joey about that…you won't tell him, will you?"

Yugi smiled. "I won't tell," He said. I smiled gratefully at him. He opened the door to outside, and I could see that it was raining, and really windy.

"Here, take my umbrella," I said, retrieving it from my book bag in the lobby. "It's not the most masculine color, but it'll keep the rain out." I handed him the umbrella and he walked outside.

I was about to return to the gym when Seto's voice caught me off-guard. "So, is what you told Yugi true? What do you think…" He said, putting one arm on my shoulder and another on the doorframe, "Of me? Of…us?"

I stood, frozen, looking into his ice-blue eyes and saw the fire deep within them.

A/N

Oyyyyy… looks around I am so tired! stretches 'Sup, minna! It's weird, I write each chapter so far ahead of time, and then I proofread it once, and then I wait several days, and then post! So, I guess everyone thinks I'm crazy for withholding a chapter from you guys, right? WRONG-O! sighs You people must think I'm high or something.

Just to let y'all know, I will be starting another fic, which will be released soon after Meaningful Simplicity ends. I'm giving you a preview, so be sure to check it out when it comes out!

Title: Love Works Both Ways, You Know

Pairings: Seto/Serenity (main), plus one-sided Tristan/Serenity and Duke/Serenity and MAYBE some classic pairings like Yugi/Anzu and Joey/Mai, MAYBE MAYBE Noah/Serenity, but I'm still contemplating that one.

Summary: The two most unfortunate people meet under the most unfortunate of circumstances. Serenity finds herself torn between several men, one who is holding both her and her friends captive in a digital world!

TAKES PLACE DURING THE ARC WITH THE BIG 5 AND NOAH!

(yes, I like to spell his name like that. So sue me don't own YGO)

See you in Chapter Seven, and don't forget to leave a review!


	7. Chapter Seven

I am alive! Yeah, sorry about my slowness, but I hope you guys don't forget about me! I'll make this chapter extra-good to compensate!

Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Now that I think of it, don't really want to own Yu-GI-Oh!

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Seven

Seto's voice caught me off-guard. "So, is what you told Yugi true? What do you think…" He said, putting one arm on my shoulder and another on the doorframe, "Of me? Of…us?"

"You…heard that?" I asked softly. Oh, now what was I going to do?

"Yes, I heard everything. If you don't want to be in a relationship, I understand." Seto swiftly turned around and walked out of the gym, leaving me so confused. I sank down onto the ground, my eyes watering, first out of sadness, and then out of rage. I didn't need him! I stormed outside, ready to take on the world. Oh, man. I was drenched the instant I stepped outside. I quickly gathered my things and ran to the first place I could think of.

I opened the door of the game shop to find Yugi staring at the newest card display. He looked just like I felt. But the ringing bell on the door alerted him to my presence. His face suddenly turned happier, and he smiled at me. 'Or was it for me?' I couldn't help but think. This, of course, made me think of Seto, and I almost started crying again. Yugi immediately picked up on this.

"Serenity, what's wrong?" he asked. Blinking back tears, I ran into his arms, where he gave me a reassuring hug. Then, we sat down on the couch in the room while we talked.

"Was it something I said?" Yugi asked, after I had calmed down.

"Not really," I replied. I didn't want anyone else to be hurt because of me. "Seto, he…I'm not really sure, but he was mad at me and then he stormed out," I said.

"I can relate," Yugi said, having known Seto for the longest, even before we all knew him. "I think he bases his moods on the weather."

This made me smile, which seemed to make Yugi smile, too. "Thanks, Yugi," I said. "You're a true friend."

This made him look really lonely, so I decided to change the subject. "So, how about showing me some of the new cards?" I asked. He brightened up, and we started looking at the new card shipments the game store had gotten.

I couldn't help feeling nervous as I biked home, so I decided to head over to Joey's to spend the night. I always felt better around him. 'Unlike someone else I know,' I thought bitterly.

I had my own key, so I entered the apartment to find Joey, Tristan, and Anzu watching a movie. "Hey, sis, what's up?" Joey asked. I smiled and asked him if it was alright that I spend the night there. "That's what your room is here for," he said. "Come out and watch the movie with us if you feel like it." He punched Tristan in the shoulder as I headed towards my room. Joey had been trying to set him up with me for ages. Maybe now that Seto was out of my life, I could take him up on his offer.

After showering and finishing my homework, I layed in bed for what seemed like countless hours, listening to the sounds of Joey, his friends, and the movie. Those were comforting sounds, unlike the ghostly silence of my apartment. I settled into sleep, hardly noticing the empty feeling just above my stomach.

Seto Kaiba slowly went about his evening schedule, eating whatever his cooks prepared, and for once, not yelling at the staff about their incompetence. Mokuba gently tried to find out what was bothering him. "Seto, what happened to that girl you brought home several days ago? She was pretty, I liked her."

"So do you and twenty other people!" Seto screamed harshly. Mokuba shrunk back, and went on eating his food. Seto left the table without bothering to finish.

He went immediately to his room and started working on a new prototype for the latest dueling disk. He knew he should have gone to bed before he started working, but he pushed those feelings aside until his fingers started aching. As he bandaged them, he couldn't help remembering Serenity, her smiling features, her fingers massaging his hand, warning him that his standards were set too high.

"Uhhh!" He growled, standing up from his chair and pacing around the room. Why couldn't he get her off of his mind? Why were there so many men after her? Because she was so…perfect. She had no flaws except that dog of a brother, and it drove him mad.

"I'll make her come back to me," he decided, as he finished bandaging his fingers. "She'll have no other choice." Then his thoughts wandered to the others. His rivals in the quest where there was no second place. He could get rid of that Tristan Taylor guy easily. And Yugi…he was one duel away from humiliation. Hie thoughts turned to the anonymous stalker guy Serenity had mentioned earlier that day.

"I made her a promise, and that is one I intend to keep," his hand formed a fist as he punched the wall nearest his computer in rage.

Mokuba, whose room was on the other side of that wall, woke up to the punch that had just been delivered. He could tell something was wrong with his brother. Something was eating at him from the inside, and he could bet it had to be something about that girl. He just had to get them back together. He would start making plans tomorrow. He needed sleep now.

I woke up, feeling refreshed and ready for another day of school. I just hoped I didn't have enough energy to combat Kaiba in gym class.

I biked quickly to school, ignoring all of the people I would usually notice. I didn't even say hi to the flower shop guy. Just looking at all the commuters heading for work made me think of Seto. I saw Yugi in the hallway, and he came up to me, holding the umbrella I had loaned him the previous day. "Thank you," he said. "Look, I'm sorry about Kaiba being such a jerk to you--"

"What'd you say?" I paled at her brother's voice. "Its nothing," Yugi said, covering for me. "I was going to ask Kaiba for a duel, but he refused. Something about working on his company."

"Yeah, that's one guy with all money and no brains," Joey said.

"And here's a guy with no money and no brains," Tristan came up to them, and they immediately started fighting. Yugi and I heaved a sigh of relief. That was a close call.

Later, in the afternoon, Tomohiko, Kaleigh, and I got ready for gym, and although I knew that we would be working on the booths and stuff, that he still had something planned for me.

Imato-sensei motioned for me to come talk to him, so I left my friends to come over. "The other clubs are making fliers and advertising, to let others know what their classes are doing. So you and Kaiba go to my office and use the computer there to make some advertisements for the carnival."

"Okay, Imato-sensei," I said reluctantly. I headed to the office where Seto Kaiba already was. "Hello, Kaiba," I said cooly. He did not reply.

"Hey, did you hear me?" I said angrily. Seto looked up at me from his chair by the computer.

"Yes, I did, but I choose not to shout about it like you are doing," he replied, focusing his attention on the computer.

"Why you--?" I said, stomping to where he was typing on the computer. My jaw dropped as I stared at what he was doing. He had designed a full-page layout for an ad about the carnival. It was a good advertisement, it even made the carnival look good, not like a cheesy school fundraiser, and he had done it in such a short period of time.

"So maybe there is one bonus to spending your life staring at machines all day," I said, a sudden antagonistic feeling welling up inside of me. For some reason, I just wanted to pick a fight right now.

"And what would that be?" Seto stood up, slowly and menacingly, walking towards me, a determined smirk on his face.

"Well, you've become a lot better at talking with computers than people," I said, knowing that a verbal spar with Seto Kaiba was one that I was probably going to lose. "Probably know binaly code better than Japanese," I mumbled, but he heard me. With every step he took forward, I took one step back, until I felt the cool texture of the wall on my back.

"That's binary code," 1 He said teasingly, but gently. We locked eyes for a second, and then I felt him move towards me. He kissed my forehead first, then his lips found my mouth.

I was shocked. I mean, we weren't talking this morning, but here we are making out in a teacher's office! I almost pushed him away, but I didn't want him to get angry with me again.

Finally we both had to stop for air. He then silently hugged me and we stayed like that for several minutes, with just the sounds of our breathing interrupting the silence.

We both could hear the bell ring, signaling the end of the day. I quickly ducked out of his embrace, and not a moment too soon, because Imato-sensei had opened the door, to find us both busily working.

"I hope these will be good enough," I said, showing him the ads that we had printed.

"Yes, they'll work just fine," he said, handing them back to me. "Can I trust that you can put these up all over the school? It won't take up that much of your time. Well, I must go." Imato-sensei then left the office. I counted the fliers.

"Seto, can you print out several more? Then we'd each have ten to put up around the school grounds--"

Seto stared at me strangely. "If you think I'm going to waste an afternoon putting up posters when I have a company to run, you're outta your mind. Get one of your friends to do it. That's what they're there for, right?"

"Kaiba, you've gone too far!" I said angrily and stormed out of the room, taking all of my things and the fliers with me. I was halfway across the gym when I heard him running after me.

"Serenity, wait! Where are you going?" I wheeled around, too caught up in the heat of the moment to back down. "I am going to put up these posters, and you, Kaiba, will have to clean everything up in here." And then I ran out of the gym.

"Augh…" Seto sighed as he slowly sank down until he was sitting on the floor of the gym. He looked around at all the paint cans, tarps, and other accessories that needed to be moved.

I ran through the halls like a madman, until I came to my locker. After making that scene in the gym, I had to forget the tape! Now I trudged through the lunch area, tacking up posters with no real aim. I had only a few left when I heard the thunder clouds. I huriedly ran to finish my work. As soon as I put up the last one (inside), rain came pouring past the window.

"Just great," I said aloud. I frantically searched my backpack for an umbrella. 'Thank goodness Yugi gave me my umbrella back,' I thought. "Here goes," I saif, and threw open the doors, running towards the school gates, trying to stay as dry as possible.

Impossible.

It was raining so heavily that I was soaked immediately. It was one of those sideways rains that you can't keep off with an umbrella. I knew I would never be able to make it if it kept raining this hard. I had decided to keep my bicicle here overnight because riding a bike in this weather was suicide. I could barely see the sidewalk in front of me. I staggered out into the intersection wondering if I was even going in the right direction. My umbrella snapped up from the force of the winds. I struggled in vain to fix it, but I couldn't do anything. That was when I saw the car. Then nothing else.

A/N

Yay! Another chapter finished! And this one is a lot longer than I thought it would be, so there! If you want to make me really happy , then review to this fic and I'll update faster! Really!

RANTING TIME! Also known as laugh-at-my-stupidity time!

I just figured out how to tell how many hits you have on a particular fic. Naturally, I looked up mine, and that made me happy. Then I looked at the number of reviews, which is still really good (yay reviewers!)(gives all reviewers a can of chicken noodle soup), but I can't help wanting MORE! I mean, seriously, even if like 20 people read this and ten review, that's still really good. Reviewing helps everyone, I mean, I get info (and you have to admit it looks really cool to have a lot of reviews) and you get a can of chicken noodle soup!

Hasta la Pasta,

Sakura Takanouchi


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: insert clever funny awe-inspiring disclaimer here> own squat>

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Eight

I woke up in a cold sweat, looking around me in a confirmation that my dream was over. I was in a strange room, one with Victorian-styled furniture and rich red carpeting and draperies. A fire was blazing in the marble fireplace. I looked down and noticed I was wearing a green dress better suited for European nobility. There was a lacquered tray standing up next to the couch I was lying on.

Before I could get up, a strange woman bustled into the room carrying a steaming bowl of soup and a mug of tea. She wore what looked like an old-fashioned maid's outfit. 'Whoa…Did I just go back in time?' I thought.

The woman paid no attention to me at all. "Oh good, you're awake," She said as she set down the soup and tea on the tray. "We were sure worried, right we were, when we almost ran you over back there. You took one look at the car and fainted. You were chilled to the bone, miss. Sorry about your uniform, but it's torn and soaked. The seamstress is patchin' it up as we speak, so it'll be as good as new very soon. Be glad we got you indoors before the winds started picking up." She motioned to the window, although neither of them could see out of it. "I imagine it will start hailing any day now, what with all the strange weather occurring. Who knows, might even be a hurricane!" She motioned for me to start eating the soup, which I fell on ravenously.

Don't worry, love, although I'd be surprised if there was school tomorrow of any kind. You go to Domino High, right?" I nodded, my mouth too full of soup to talk.

"Your uniform told me, miss. Our Duke doesn't go to Domino, although he should, in my opinion. Homeschooling's too good for 'im, not when there's pretty things like you goin' to that high school!" I blushed, and hid my face behind the soup bowl.

"That soup'll warm you up, dear. Once you're warm we'll see if we can get you to a real room, then. The parlor's the warmest, and when we got you in here you could barely move, you were that numb."

I finished the soup and sat up straighter as I took a sip of the tea. It was an herbal blend that I couldn't place.

"Who are you?" I asked, setting down the mug of tea.

"Child, you're so sweet. I'm Hannah McAbbot, the head nurse, maid, and cook here at the mansion, but just call me Hannah." My head spun when she said that. I was in a mansion! Hannah asked, "Ooh, dearie, would ya stand up for me?"

At her request I stood and spun around. It was then that I realized I was wearing a green dress with three-quarter sleeves and lace, ribbons, and ruffles everywhere. It was beautiful but it also looked like an antique. The full skirts of the gown moved with me. Nervously I took a strand of my hair in my hand as I looked at Hannah. The effects of the rain on my hair made it wavier than usual. Hannah studied me for a moment, and then broke out into a smile.

"Oh, child," she sighed, "I was right worried it wouldn't fit, but it does, love. You make it beautiful."

I blushed again at her compliment, and I gazed contentedly at my surroundings.

"She is absolutely correct," A deep male voice said. Startled, I turned around. A tall, slim man dressed in a blue button-down shirt and black pants stared back at me. "Duke Devlin, pleased to make your acquaintance," he said as he took my hand and gently kissed it. It was then that I noticed I was wearing cream-colored gloves.

"I'm Serenity," I said softly. I felt like I was in a dream. I would have curtsied if I had known how. Duke still hadn't let go of my hand.

"Would you like a tour of my home?" He asked, slowly leading me away from the parlor.

"Certaintly," I answered, as we began to leave the room.

"Come back to the dining room when you're done, and therey'll be a real dinner for you two!" Hannah said.

"Here is the library," Duke said, slowly turning on the light switch at the side of the door. Soft lighting accented the seemingly endless aisles of books.

"Wow," I said, eager to begin reading, one of my passions.

"This library is certified and contains over ten thousand volumes, many of them antiques and classics," Duke continued. "Now, let me show you where you will be staying." He led me away down a long hall, and then up a flight of stairs. "This is the Sapphire Room, he said, turning on the light switch so I could see better.

I gasped and sank down into one of the blue chairs near the door. The room was huge. It would rival the size of my entire apartment. A king-size bed stood in the back wall, flanked on each side by nightstands and jet-blue shaded lamps. A picture with a crane fishing stood behind the bed. A chest of drawers stood on the far wall and a vanity was placed opposite it. An antique mirror was mounted on the wall across where I was sitting. The walls were a light blue with a darker blue pattern sponged over it.

I was speechless. The whole mansion was wonderful, and this room seemed like it was made just for me. Duke stood behind the chair and gently let his hands rest on my shoulders.

"This reminds me of the fairy tale The Beauty and The Beast 1," Dukecommented softly.

"Yes," I agreed, "But there is no beast."

Quickly Duke walked around to the front of the chair and took my hand. "Come! The lady must have jewels."

I sat down at the vanity as Duke selected a string of diamonds with a single emerald at the throat. He clasped it around my neck, although I did protest. "It's too much," I choked out, on the verge of crying.

"Nonsense," he said, bringing two matching earrings out of another box for me. "Their beauty pales in comparison to you." He held me gently for several moments before standing up and looking at his wristwatch.

"Dinner's waiting for us," he said kindly, helping me up and offering his arm to escort me to the dining room. We passed several guest suites, Duke's office and bedroom before coming to another stairwell, which we descended. Hannah was waiting for us in a small room just off of the parlor. The table was set for two with fine china and Duke pulled out a chair for me. He sat in the chair opposite mine. Hannah came back in with a pitcher of water and a steaming pot of tea.

"Hannah's tea is famous for curing anything from a bad cold to a bad mood," Duke said. I held up my teacup. "To life," I suggested.

"To you," Duke said, and we stared into each other's eyes until he broke it to take a sip of tea.

Hannah came in a moment later to bring in our plates. We both had salmon with spinach and mashed potatoes. Duke finished his meal while I only managed a few bites of everything. "The food is very good," I commented when we were both done.

"Hannah's cooking is famous, too," he said, and we laughed. Duke then stood up and motioned for me to follow him. Through the dining room doors we walked into a huge room with gilded accents and beautiful wood flooring. Then I heard music weaving its way through the room. Duke looked at me charmingly, one hand held out. "Care to dance?" he asked.

I took his hand as we started to waltz around the room. "Of course," I agreed.

After the number was over, Duke paused, lost in thought. "Serenity," he began, "Tomorrow night, there will be… a gathering. A business party here for many of the top electronics companies in Japan. It will be a very important night for me, and I need a date. Can I count on you?"

I looked at his friendly, open eyes with an expression of amazed shock on my face. 'Why?' I thought. 'I suppose I'm just the backup, being stuck here in this mansion, having danced the night away with this charmingly handsome stranger! It is terribly romantic, though. Do I even have a choice? Could he throw me out if I refused?' I nodded my head, a faint smile on my face, more for effect than emotion. "I'm honored to accept."

"Wonderful!" Duke said, grinning boyishly. "Now it's getting late. There'll be plenty to do tomorrow, then, so let me show you back to your room." He gently escorted me back to the Sapphire room, where I fell asleep almost instantly, for the first time in weeks without dreams.

A/N

I know this is a little short, but it seems like a good stopping point for now.I'm sorry this is kind of a longtime overdue, but I've beenSO busy.I should get the next one up sometime this weekend.

I'll bet you guys are laughing your heads off at Duke's 'Duke-ish-ness'. But, I mean, wouldn't you love it if you were knocked out somewhere and woke up in a charming mansion with charming, uh...people? (That didn't come out right) And I mean, its not like she had a choice about the dance. I mean, not knowing where you are, (can't leave) and being stuck there with him? Awk-ward!

Just for the record, I'm sorry if the whole "company party thing" feels so overused, but I love it, so I don't care! But if anyone knows any good fanfiction with similar themes, oh do tell. I'd love to read it, even if its something you guys are writing. (Do I even have any more readers? It's been ages since I've updated anything)

1: I also love fairy tales! Not the stupid Disney version of Beauty and the Beast (don't own!) but the old-school French story one. It's loads more interesting and everything, so check it out!

Nothing else to say,

Sakura Takanouchi


	9. Chapter Nine

Dislaimer: I think you all get the picture by now… … … … don't own

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Nine

I awoke the next morning to the sounds of Hannah making breakfast in the kitchen. I saw a plain white shirt and navy skirt laying on the chair beside the bed, so I put them on. Surprisingly, they fit perfectly. Finding the same shoes I wore yesterday, I put them on and found my way to the kitchen, where Hannah was making toast. A coffeepot stood on the table next to a platter of fruit. I eagerly took a plate, cup, and fork to the table and started eating. Hannah joined me in a moment carrying a plate of lightly toasted bread.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's nine-thirty," Hannah answered, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Now, Duke's working all day, so you'll have plenty of time to explore." At my confused expression, she laughed. "You didn't know? Duke Devlin is President of Dungeon Dice Monsters, a division of Industrial Illusions. This business party tonight is going to be hosting many of D.D.M.'s rival companies. It will be a very big night for Duke, and he's really glad you'll be there for him," she said, gently patting my hand.

"Well!" Hannah said as she stood up. "I've got a house to clean and make presentable, so you finish your breakfast and then go exploring." With that, she left me alone.

The first room I attempted to find was the library, but on my way I passed through a TV room, a study, and a music room complete with a grand piano. I met several other workers there who were trying to move the piano into the ballroom because there would be a live band for the party.

Finally I got to the library where I started reading whatever I could find. I settled myself in a comfortable chair beside a bookshelf titled 'Duke's Favorites'. I was halfway through The Count of Monte Cristo before I realized I had schoolwork I should do.

I found Hannah in the ballroom directing several other people who were moving couches and chairs to form a sitting area. "Serenity! I'm glad you could find your way over here! What can I do for ya?" We sat down while I asked her about the whereabouts of my backpack.

"Oh yes, that satchel you were carrying. I think it would be in the laundry room, which's where your uniform should be, too. Let me show you where it is." The laundry room was at the end of a hallway coming off of the kitchen. My backpack was there, next to the dryer, and my uniform was hanging on a rack nearby, looking like it was new. I wouldn't put it past Hannah to have dry-cleaned it, either.

I gathered my belongings and returned to the study where I managed to finish my English homework and start my biology essay. I was so absorbed in my work I did not notice Hannah coming up to me, smiling like a proud parent.

"Come with me, Serenity," she said excitedly. I followed her into my room where an opened package lay on my bed. "Look at this."

A dress lay surrounded by tissue paper. It was a creation any girl would envy. Dark blue in color, the dress had a halter-style back. Even darker blue beads were sewn on the full skirt in flower patterns. I just stared at it.

"Try it on, and then, if you want, I'll do your hair," Hannah called, and I hastened to put on my dress. I was swirling in front of the full-length mirror by the time Hannah came back.

"You look gorgeous, love," Hannah said. "Now sit down at the vanity." She proceeded to brush out my hair and then to pin it up in a chignon, adding lots of hairspray. She then opened several vanity drawers and pulled out a large array of cosmetic products. She left me to do my makeup. Sparingly I used foundation, a hint of blush and lipstick, and dark brown mascara. A stroke of light blue eyeshadow and I was done. I spied two dark blue gloves on the vanity and I put them on my hands.

Hannah came back in carrying a box that contained two midnight blue slides. I gently put them on my feet while Hannah retrieved something from a box on the vanity. I gasped when she put a beautiful diamond necklace around my neck.

"Come here and let me see you properly," Hannah said, motioning for me to get up. I faced her uncertainly as she daubed perfume on me. "You look like an angel. Now I know someone special who is waiting in the entrance hall for you."

She led me through the entrance hall, and let me go down the stairs alone. I didn't see anyone there, yet my gaze was drawn to a small white box on the entry table.

"You look amazing." I turned around to see Duke Devlin in a tux, although the shirt was a dark purple. I blushed, and couldn't say anything. "Would you be so kind as to look in that box?"

I opened it, and to my surprise it contained a blue rose corsage. "Wow," I breathed. "Thank you!"

"Let me help you with that," Duke said, and he gently slipped it around my wrist. "I'm afraid we'll have to go the long way, since most of the doors are locked for this event." He took my hand and led me through hallways and rooms, finally pausing in front of an elevator.

"You first."

We went up one floor and the doors opened. Already people were talking, sitting while talking, or drinking over by the bar, which was set up in one corner. Many of the people were holding half-full glasses in their hands.

"Serenity, I hate this part of my job, but now I have to go talk to all my business associates and complement their attire, etc… I know it sounds boring, but you get introduced, and then you can watch all their dates expressions of envy when they see you as the loveliest one here."

I blushed as he led me through crowds of middle-aged men and their dates, saying a word of this, a joke, them occasionally talking to me, but mostly after the introductions I was as good as invisible. After about thirty minutes of this I began to tire, so during a lull in the conversation I turned to Duke. "Could we perhaps sit down, or get something to drink?"

"But of course," he replied. "I'll talk to you later," he addressed the man we were chatting with, a tall man with long platinum hair who had no date.

We sat down on the last unoccupied couch and Duke promptly got the attention of a waiter, asking for two glasses of water. I looked at Duke with approval, glad that he would not drink.

"Ah! Look, the band is tuning up," he said, handing me a glass. I held it carefully, took a long sip and placed it on an end table. I watched the couples that had started to dance to the first number, an upbeat jazzy tune that I did not recognize. I knew that Duke would ask me to dance; he was hosting the party and he was expected to do so. I just didn't like to be treated like such a pawn. Everyone would be secretly watching me, all the other women especially.

"Would you care to dance?" Duke asked casually, setting his empty glass next to mine.

"Sure," I answered, and we both stepped onto the dance floor as a slower number started up.

POV CHANGE

Of all the times to be late. I wasn't even fashionably late, but it would have to do. I stormed through the entry doors and pressed the call button on the elevator. To amuse myself, I wondered how extravagantly Duke would attempt to pull this one off. His last party was so lavish, and nothing gained in the end! Does he seriously think anyone would want to be business partners with him?

The elevator opened, and I stepped in and pressed the only other button there, 37. The elevator began to rise, giving me a spectacular view of downtown Domino. I saw my own corporate building as well as many others. The elevator slowed its ascent, opening to reveal the party in full swing. Or should it be jazz? I laughed to myself as I watched the executives talking, the unattractive singer, and my gaze ultimately fell upon those dancing.

My mind wandered to Serenity. I had tried to contact her, wondering if she got home all right. I myself was soaked merely getting into my limo. I had acted like an ass and I knew it. Why couldn't I just think before I speak? Because I couldn't think when I was around her.

Naturally, I brought no one with me. Alone, I moved into the group of business execs talking about- what else?- my company. One of them hurriedly changed the subject as I walked by. I was so absorbed in my thoughts I didn't notice I had banged into someone.

"Ouch, Kaiba-boy, you really must watch where you're going," The man I had bumped into grinned at me.

"Shove it, Pegasus, I am not in the mood to talk to you," I said, and tried to go on my way, but he blocked me with one red-suited arm.

"But Kaiba-boy, we really must talk," he said, enjoying my reaction to the 'nickname'. "I heard a little rumor that you were going to expand KaibaCorp into America, setting up the headquarters in Los Angeles. You know how I feel about that, and we wouldn't want anyone's feelings to get hurt, would we?" 1

"You can't hurt what you don't have," I retorted, and ended our conversation.

POV CHANGE

The dance ended, and I was secretly glad. Duke was…how would I put it? Dashing? Flattering? Romantic? Maybe all three, but I yearned to be somewhere else. My thoughts turned to Seto, and that afternoon we spent playing basketball. I guess Seto couldn't really fall under those categories, but secretly, I liked trying to match wits with him. I couldn't help coming here and being at this party, but I didn't want to be here anymore.

"Serenity?" Duke caught my attention. "I have to go talk to everyone, thank them for coming, etc. Would you like to go sit down?" Without waiting for my response I was led to a couch upholstered in a rosy hue and he got me another water. Then I just stared off into space.

POV CHANGE

After escaping from Pegasus I found myself near the bar, so I grabbed a water (Perrier, of course) and leaned against the wall, watching everyone else. My gaze wandered from the couples dancing, the others at the bar, Serenity sitting over there, the band playing another song…wait! Serenity is here? What is she doing here? Someone else must have invited her, and that thought caused anger to flow through me. Casually I left my drink at the bar and walked over to where she was sitting.

She was oblivious to my presence. I moved to where I was standing right behind her and yet I could not think of anything to say. "Nice Dress," I managed, and she turned around, first surprised, and then pleased.

"Thank you," She started, and then looked kind of sad.

"So, how did you get here?" I asked.

"I've been living here for the past few days," Serenity said, amused at Seto's irritable expression. "I know, don't you say a word. I wish I wasn't, now." She proceeded to tell me everything that happened since I made her put up all the posters.

"You make it sound like it's my fault," I said, and she smiled.

"Well, you could have given me a ride home," she said.

"Okay," I said, an idea forming. "How about now? Would you like to leave this party?"

She didn't even have to think before her response. "I'd love to leave the party," I said.

POV CHANGE

I had just finished going over the DDM schematics for our new Taiwan plant when I thought I should go back to Serenity. I went up to the chair I thought she was sitting in, and no one was there! She must have gone to the bathroom or something. I checked my watch. It was 11:40, so I had better find her before the party ended. I sat there to wait until she got back.

POV CHANGE

"Wheeler, where are you going?" I asked as she led me through various hallways and corridors. "I have to get my uniform and my schoolbooks," Serenity said. "I'll buy you a new uniform and schoolbooks if we can just get out of this building," I replied impatiently.

"See? Now we're lost," I said as Serenity started opening doors. "Aha!" She said, and motioned for me to follow her. We entered a grand entry hall, and I whistled. "I can't believe Duke actually lives here."

"Don't like his _mansion_?" Serenity said sarcastically.

"No, this isn't a mansion. I'm talking about this," I said as I flung open the heavy window curtains to reveal downtown domino. "Duke Devlin lives on top of his corporate tower." Serenity's face went rigid.

"You mean I've been living here this whole weekend and I could've left anytime I wanted to?" She said, not believing a thing.

"I'm sorry, dear," A middle-aged woman said, coming through the kitchen door.

"You lied to me," Serenity said, refusing to look at her.

"Here's your things, please take that dress with you," the woman said, turning her back to go into the kitchen again. "I won't tell Duke anything."

We quickly left the room and found an elevator that took us down to the parking lot. The chauffeur seemed surprised to have someone with me, but said nothing as I glared at him. Serenity followed me into the limo without saying a word.

"Where to, sir?" The chauffeur asked. I looked at Serenity, and she said nothing. She seemed to still be in shock after everything that had happened tonight.

"Home," I replied. When she stared at me in wonderment, I just returned her gaze. Neither of us said anything as we drove home. The limo pulled into the Kaiba Mansion and I showed Serenity where she could sleep. I left her there and went to my room, exhausted, to pursue my own dreams.

Author Notes:

Ahhhh….. I just finished watching The Phantom of the Opera, (don't own) my all-time favorite movie. I feel so happy! I guess I'll just keep on writing, then.

1: I'm not sure if my information is correct, but I do believe Industrial Illusions has some sort of base set up in LA. So, naturally, Seto's stepping on Pegasus' toes, in a way. Also, when Seto retorts, "You can't hurt what you don't have," to Pegasus' earlier question of "…and we wouldn't want anyone's feelings to get hurt, would we?" you could take this two ways: Kaiba could be insulting Pegasus- telling Pegasus he has no feelings, which would mean that Pegasus' feelings are hurt by KC's invasion of LA, which is all like 'oh, in your face!'

OOOOOORRRRRRRRRRR………..

It's also a threat by Pegasus warning Kaiba he's so gonna lose, and Kaiba's retort is so like, 'I'm a man of steel. Your empty threats can't hurt me!'

Yeeahh…You all probably got that already, but I love explaining stuff, so it doesn't matter. Even though that explanation was like Clueless meets YGO. That's really sad. Funny, but sad.

One more question: I realize that I changed POV's a lot in this chapter. I originally meant for this to be just from Serenity's point of view, but I'm kinda switching it up a little. You like? hate? Don't care?

This is Saku, signing off!

Sakura Takanouchi


	10. Chapter Ten

MAGIC!! I have come out of hiding at last! Welcome back, Fanfiction! This seems really random, but I feel like writing more, so I hope it's…interesting? That's mostly what all the reviews say. I hope this picks up well right where I left off. If I can get you to laugh out loud or squeal once, then I've done my job. Anything extra is just a bonus. STILL no closer to owning YGO.

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter Ten

The sunlight pouring in through an open window was the first thing to wake me up. I shifted comfortably in the bed, expecting to find a wall, but instead, a large and comfortably furnished room greeted me. For a moment confusion reined, but then the events of the past few days flooded back to me. I closed my eyes, burying my head in the soft down pillows. They had all deceived me…and to what purpose? It wasn't like I could've stayed there forever. I rolled over and promptly fell off of the bed.

After untangling myself from the honey-colored sheets, I gazed at my surroundings. Dark wood furniture complimented the buttery shades of the room, the paint almost like liquid sunshine on the walls. I noticed that I was still wearing the dress from last night, but my shoes were laid carefully on the floor beside a comfortable upholstered chair. A new blue patterned sundress was lying across it. The old dress replaced it on the chair. I never wanted to see it again.

Barefoot, and clad in the pretty new dress (who knew Seto had such taste?), I made my way down the hallway leading from my room. I found myself in a large atrium on the third floor. There were two levels below me and at least one other above. I walked slowly down the stairs to the ground floor, trying to imagine what it would be like to actually live here. Seto probably took everything for granted.

The second floor landing opened out onto a wide grand staircase leading into the foyer. Large windows shielded by tapestry drapes gave me a glimpse of a fountain garden. Staring down the curved banister gave me an idea. I heard voices drifting softly from another room. If I were going to, I would have to make this quick, and I'd only get one shot.

I mounted the banister quickly and let go, my feet swinging as I slid. I resisted the urge to shout for joy, but one of a different kind escaped my lips. "Look out!" I collided with a person, knocking both of us onto the floor.

Looking down, I saw the surprised, angry, and flushing face of none other than Seto Kaiba. I couldn't help it. I quickly scooted away from him, but after one more glance at his face I burst into laughter. Seto quickly stood up while I remained, laughing, on the floor. I suppressed more giggles when I saw his expression then, this time one of bewilderment.

"Here," he said, offering me his hand. I took it and gently rose (almost forgetting that I was in a dress). "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I could trust you to catch me," I retorted. "I guess you don't have much practice at catching people sliding down stair rails." Seto's face remained calm, but I detected a slight twitch of his mouth.

"Shall we try it again then?" I asked slyly. Seto appeared taken aback for a moment. "You better catch me this time." I climbed the stairs again. In an instant I was sliding down the rail and flying into his waiting arms. He caught me effortlessly and used the momentum of my movement to swing me around in a circle. I laughed again. "Much better, don't you agree?""Better than you knocking into me, if that's what you're asking," he responded. A door swinging to our left finally broke the silence. Out came Seto's dark-haired younger brother, half-talking to Seto, half to himself.

"Big brother, your breakfast is getting cold!" he complained. "What's keeping…" he trailed off upon seeing me, still supported by Seto, both of our faces flushing. He quickly and none too gently put me down, eliciting a small squeak of protest and a slap on the shoulder from me. Mokuba smiled cutely, turning back around and skipping back into the room where he came out. "Come to breakfast," he sang.

My face was heating up rather quickly. He had caught us in what would have been a very compromising situation. Well, it was. The fact that Seto had nearly dropped me on the floor proved that he didn't want his brother to see…what? Certainly not that he had talent at catching people sliding down stair rails.

"Hungry?" Seto turned to me. For the first time all morning, I noticed the gnawing feeling in my stomach. "Yes, let's eat," I motioned for him to lead the way.

We passed through the swinging door into a full gourmet kitchen. Black and stainless steel appliances accented dark granite countertops. A red brick backsplash set the room off excellently. I noticed trays of food were set both on the kitchen island and on a wooden table with a great view of the same garden. Mokuba was sitting at the table, buttering a muffin.

"Coffee? Tea?" Seto asked. "Oh, tea would be fine," I responded, helping myself to fruit and pastry while Seto poured several cups of tea. The scent of the herbal tea floated around the room. I joined Mokuba at the table, where he eyed me shyly.

"How did you get here in the middle of the night?" he asked me. I shot a glance at his brother, who shrugged.

"Your brother rescued me," I answered, eliciting an 'ohhhh' from the boy, his eyes wide at the 'adaptation' of my tale. "I was being, um…detained, somewhere, and he offered to get me out of that situation." I accepted the teacup that Seto handed me. "And I haven't gotten the chance to thank you yet," I addressed him.

"You don't have to," he answered definitively. "What was I going to do, leave you there, with Duke? I'm not heartless." I could almost see his grimace. Fate worse than death indeed.

"Really now?" I sipped my tea, enjoying the breakfast immensely. It was cut short, however, with Seto's rise from the table.

"Aww, so soon, Seto?" Mokuba whined. I twisted in my chair to look at Seto, who was collecting his briefcase from the counter.

"You're going to work?" I heard myself asking. "On a Saturday?" I returned the strange glance both Kaiba brothers gave me.

"Just for awhile," Seto responded, and in an instant he was gone, the kitchen door swinging from his exit. This seemed like a normal occurrence, so I didn't question the abrupt departure. I turned to Mokuba, whose face was half hidden by a banana nut muffin. I couldn't suppress a smile. "So… what's there to do around here?"

During our tour of the house, grounds, and a quick (okay, not so quick) stop in the gaming room, I got to know Mokuba very well. He was a bright kid, almost too witty for a middle-schooler. He laughed more easily than his brother, and seemed much more open. It was an enjoyable morning for both of us, getting to know each other better. Although there was an illusion of privacy throughout the morning, I couldn't help but feel like we were watched.

When we returned to the kitchen for lunch, a platter of sandwiches was set out for us. I eyed Mokuba quizzically. "Faeries came, eh?"

He laughed. "Seto asked the staff to be scarce while you were here. He thought it might be strange for you." He helped himself to a sandwich, munching enthusiastically. Now that I remember, I didn't see any servants the last, and first, time I visited. A vision of an army of Hannah McAbbots swarmed into view. I shuddered, silently thanking Seto.

We ate quickly, and then settled down in the media room to watch the newest Harry Potter movie. I was comfortable in a large leather recliner and smooth chenille blanket. About halfway into the movie, sleep overtook me, and I dozed off about halfway into the movie.

MOKUBA'S POV

Today has been great! I finally got a chance to talk to that girl who visited our home a few weeks ago. I really like her; she's pretty and she can make me laugh. I really wouldn't mind if she stayed here longer. Turning over to look at her, my smile fades quickly. She's turning in her sleep, and her brow is furrowed, looking like she has a migraine. Forgetting the movie, I jump up to her side. Her forehead feels hot to the touch, and beads of sweat form on her brow. Eeeww. What was I going to do? Now she's muttering incoherently in her sleep too. Great. I stop the movie and run to the nearest phone, with only one thought on my mind. Help!

Seto's on speed dial. I hear his tired voice on the other end of the line. "Mokuba? What is it?" I could almost feel his surprise; I rarely call him during the day, I know he's busy at work.

"Big brother, something's wrong. You need to get home quick!"

"Calm down, now just tell me-"

"It's Serenity, she's sick! Her forehead's all hot and she is mumbling things in her sleep. I think she's got a fever, or a virus, or something! I don't know what to do!"

"Just wake her up and try to figure out what she needs. I'll be home as soon as I can."

The line went dead. I spun around, leaving the phone dangling from its cord. I shook Serenity awake. "Please wake up."

"It's hot in here," was her reply. She weakly flung off the blanket that was insulating her. "I'm getting some water and painkillers. My head hurts like crazy."

"No you're not! I'll get them, they're in the top cupboard-"

"Which you can certainly reach." She swung her feet from the recliner and shakily rose to her feet. "Lead the…" Her vision faltered, her world spun and her body fell. 'Catch her…' My brain registered at the last second and, darting forward, caught her shoulders, staggered under the weight, and fell over, cushioning Serenity about as much as the carpeting. I crawled out from under her. She was out cold.

Hearing the front door open and close, I ran from the room and to the atrium, my socks skidding on the hardwood floor. "Seto! Help me!" He climbed the steps two at a time, rolling up the sleeves of his navy button-down. "Where is she?" I pointed.

We made our way to the media room where we eyed the unconscious girl. "You let her fall." Seto's voice a mixture of anger and restrain.

"Hey, she fell on me! And she's heavy," I replied defensively. I watched as he strode to her side and checked her pulse and felt her forehead. He gently lifted her up and cradled her in his arms, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing shallow. I followed as he carried her out of the room.

"She is not going in my room," I stated. Seto eyed me warily, then the stairs. He knows I don't like sickness. Besides, it's my room. He shifted his grip on Serenity and then sighed, walking around the atrium until he came to a set of double doors. I opened them and followed him inside.

He carried her across the room, setting her carefully on the bed, propping up pillows so she was reclined. Her auburn hair was strewn across the starched white pillows. I turned to leave, but noticed that Seto had yet to take his eyes off of her. I dragged the bench at the foot of the bed around to the side, ignoring Seto's glare and the protests that he was scratching the wood. "There, now you can sit and stare." Seto looked at me, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Just get the butler in here." I scampered off to fulfill his request.

SERENITY'S POV

Consciousness drifted back as I heard tree branches swaying in the breeze. Hmm. Probably an open window. I snuggled back into the down pillows, my fingers running along the inside of a soft yet sturdy comforter. I smiled. They used lavender fabric softener. Wait…what was I doing in bed, and why did my head hurt so much? I strained to open my eyes. It seemed bright in the room even though it was only lit by sunshine. Then I noticed a pair of intense blue eyes catching my gaze. Seto jumped up from his seat on a nearby bench to come to my side. "Serenity, are you alright? Do you need anything?" His voice was full of concern.

"Am I dying?"

"What?!" Although I had meant it as a joke, I could already see the wheels turning in his brain. 'Duke Devlin must have poisoned her!'

"Well, it's just that I've never seen you this concerned over anything before and--"

Seto's face became stony. "I just don't want you getting worse, and then leaving me struck with lawsuit after lawsuit-" He paused, to look at me incredulously. "What did you do to yourself to get in this condition?"

"Well, for starters, I got soaked coming home from school, nearly got hit by a car, then had to deal with…_those people_ for days, and I guess it's finally catching up to me." I glared at Seto, as if it was his fault all of this had happened. I rubbed my temples, catching sight of a tray on the bedside table. "Is that…Advil? Goody," I said, swallowing the medicine with some water. I sighed, leaning back into the pillows. Suddenly, I looked around, taking new notice of my surroundings. "Where am I?"

"Where do you think?" was the curt reply.

My already flushed cheeks burned a little more when I realized that not only was I in Seto Kaiba's bedroom, I was lying in his bed. Now that I was observing my surroundings, I did notice that the whole scheme of the room was very…masculine. Heavy cherry furniture, crisp white sheets, midnight blue wall color. Everything was classic yet minimal. Linen sheers fluttered in the breeze from the open window. I twisted my head back and forth, almost regretting it when my vision started to swim again. The room also contained a seating area, with a plasma TV mounted on where the mantle of a fireplace would be. This was the neatest room I've ever been in. Did he even sleep in here? Of course it was opulent, but it was understatedly so. Surprisingly enough, there was no artwork on the walls. Nothing could satiate my curiosity. "Why couldn't I go back to the other room?"

"You fainted, I had to carry you, and no way was I going to risk my own health in getting you up several flights of stairs. Hence, here you are." An awkward silence ensued, in which he wondered aloud, "you prefer the other room?"

"No, um…it's just that sun colors are supposed to be good for the sick, so…umm…" my voice trailed away, searching for a new topic. We were saved when the butler came in with a tray of food on a rolling cart. I was famished. Seto made sure I was comfortable, and then left to eat dinner with Mokuba. I ate my meat and potatoes in silence, hoping that the food would give me energy to fend off whatever was making me sick. After eating, I left the tray on the bed (I was too weak to move it) and before I knew it, I was asleep. I didn't wake up until it was dark outside and I felt a rustling of the comforter. I looked up at Seto, taking the tray off of the bed.

"I was trying not to wake you up," he grumbled, putting the tray on the rolling cart.

"Hey, Seto?" He responded with a "Hmmm?"

"If I'm here, where are you going to sleep..?" I'm glad it was dark in the room so it hid my blushing cheeks. 'Stupid question! What did you think; he was going to sleep in the same bed? Or watch over you while you slept? Get real…he's probably more tired than I am.'

"There are plenty of bedrooms here," he said. When I attempted to sit up in the bed, Seto's hands found a place on my shoulders, pushing me back into the pillows. "You are not moving until you feel better," he insisted. I glanced up; he was so close to me. His eyes looked almost black in the dark, only a speck of color was visible in them. I could swear I saw my own reflection in his eyes. "Now go to sleep," he ordered. I obediently closed my eyes. As soon as I had, I felt a soft kiss planted on my forehead, the hands on my shoulders giving me a quick squeeze, and then his touch was gone- and so was he. I settled back into the covers with a smile.

I awoke again to the sun pouring in through the windows. The first thing I saw was a huge glass vase filled with sunflowers.

A/N

I'm making a comeback! But honestly, when I reread this story, along with my other works, it seemed really…juvenile? I don't know, but the style is off somehow. I want these newer installments to flow but also show improvement. Hopefully these new chapters come across better. More sophisticated language, more maturity and depth to the characters. Whatever.

Notes on ages: I'm making Mokuba 12 in this story. There's a 6 year gap between him and senior Seto, making the elder 18, so it works out. That's why he seemed so jumpy and unsure when Serenity got sick. He's a kid, so he'll act like one. By the way, Serenity getting a fever like this is realistic. I took a nap (already sick) under a heavy blanket, and gave myself a fever of 103 before! It's no fun, but it can happen.

Heads up: During my extended (ha!) hiatus, I started writing…yet another…SxS story. Completely AU, it's a crazy fantasy tale, where Serenity's a bad secret agent. I'll post the first third over spring break, so hold out on me!

Reviews not only appreciated, but NECESSARY! This story has hits in the four-digit area (one motivation to finish this story), yet people won't tell me what they think of my effort. Don't make me go into hiding again… I've started on a reading rampage, and wow, are there some jewels in the SxS department! I hope I inspire some people to pick up the pen (figuratively speaking, of course), and see it through to the end! Now where was I…gah, I need to read a Jane Austen novel…basically every romantic thing ever created has been ripped off of a Jane Austen novel…

Can't wait 'till next time! Sakura Takanouchi


	11. Chapter Eleven

A/N: Does anyone realize how hard it is to write in first person? I have to erase all my 'she's' and stuff, hope I got them all…so yeah, sometimes the dialogue in this chapter just wanders all over the place, but the story is being told through Serenity (or whoever's POV, I've got to switch it up to make it more interesting to me as well as you people), so even if she's not talking, or thinking, text-wise, it's still basically her voice. I mean, unless she's in a conversation with someone, then it would be their voice. Technically. Yeah.

Also, I was very pleased with the reception of the last chapter; tons of hits came pouring in. Yet, only a few took the time to comment. Please leave constructive criticism, I want to hear what everyone thinks!

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter 11

Here it was. Proof that Seto Kaiba actually listens to people. I eyed the sunflowers, a smile spreading across my face. Before I could get out of bed to admire the flowers more closely, the double doors swung open, and Seto strode in, closing them behind him.

"Good morning!" I called as he came in. His hair was disheveled and he was still clad in navy blue pajama pants, with a matching robe. Here it was, mid-morning already. And I thought he was a morning person. I eyed him curiously; with almost an unspoken question. 'What are you doing here?'

"This is my room, in case you forgot" was his answer to my puzzled look, quickly moving to the large armoire in the corner of the room. "My clothes are in here."

"Oh! Right," I replied, watching him select clothing from the giant piece of furniture. Noticing his state made me aware of mine. I was still wearing that sundress from yesterday, where it came from I'll never know, and now it was dirty, wrinkled, and definitely unfit for a sick person to be wearing. "Umm…Seto?" He looked at me, annoyed, clothing slung over one arm.

"Could you bring me my schoolbag please?" I asked.

"Get it yourself. You know where it is," came the curt reply.

"What is it you said? 'You're not moving until you feel better,'" I tried in my best Kaiba impersonation.

"You look fine from here."

"Glad you think so," I said, knowing it would aggravate him. Now can you bring me my schoolbag so I can have something else to wear, pleeease?"

Seto growled under his breath. I heard a barely audible "Fine…" and before I knew it, he was out of the room, scaling the steps to get to the bedroom I had used the other day. I sighed. A minute later, the doors opened again and in came Seto, throwing a bag at me. It fell on the bed beside me. I dug through the bag eagerly, pulling out my school uniform, ignoring Seto's remarks of "are you happy now..?" We each took up the clothing in our arms at the same moment. Glancing at each other, we held the same idea in our minds.

"This is my room!"

"Get out!"

"Make me!"

"I need to change!"

"So I don't?"

"If you don't leave I'm just going to start changing right now." He started to tug at his robe, loosening it and revealing a matching navy t-shirt.

"Kaiba! You jerk!" I fumed, sliding from the bed, grabbing my uniform, and heading to the adjoining bathroom. After closing—and locking—the door behind me, I stopped for a moment in awe. This place is bigger than his bedroom! Black marble floors contrasted beautifully with granite countertops and chrome accessories. Did he design it all himself, or did he hire people to do it for him? 'Grrr…, stupid Kaiba.' I angrily pulled on my uniform, carefully hanging the sundress on a wall hook. I barged out of the bathroom, ready to tell him off-

I stopped, speechless, all thoughts of a verbal battle out the proverbial window. Seto looked up at me, apparently forgetting that I had left. He had changed into khaki slacks, and was reaching for a signature white button down. He noticed my gaze, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Damn that fever.

Seto smirked. "Like what you see?" he taunted. "Good thing we didn't auction you off as our culture festival event," I quipped. But in truth, he didn't look half bad. Boy was he toned…he obviously deserved all the attention he got in gym class. His already messy hair fluttered in the gentle breeze that was cascading about the room. He turned around, grabbing the shirt off of the hanger. Oh, now I got to see his back…

"Quit it."

"Quit what?" I asked innocently, moving to the bed to rummage through my schoolbag, if just for something to do.

"Quit staring at me." Argh. I couldn't see the mirror on the inside of the armoire. There must be one there. That was the only explanation.

"I wasn't staring." 'Rummage deeper, rummage deeper…'

"Then what do you call what you were just doing? Staring, _at me_, with that vacant expression. Well?" He shrugged into the shirt, but leaving it unbuttoned.

'Gah, Serenity, snap out of it!' "I was…I was looking out of the window, or at least trying, but you got in the way." 'Yeah, he'll believe that. Tch, yeah right. I don't believe it and I'm the one saying it.' I saw Seto do a slight double-take. 'I just indirectly called him fat…move, you're blocking my view? How lame is that?' I prepared to look at him defiantly, but he had already turned around, towards the window that he was, em…blocking…

"Oh, that's too bad." I could practically feel the sarcasm that accompanied his words. "Then why don't you just…come closer?"

Huh?

"That's what you wanted, wasn't it?" I could hear it in his voice, egging me on. Well, I sure wasn't going to be the one to back down. Leaving my bag, I walked slowly towards the window, meeting Seto Kaiba's steady gaze with one of my own. He turned, reaching for a pair of socks from the armoire. Where was that mirror? Don't tell me he called my bluff that easily.

"An unobstructed view..?"

'Of you?' Serenity, get your head out of the gutter! I averted my gaze, looking out of the open window. The acreage was beyond belief, sprawling almost as far as the eye could see. Countless places to wander, where one could easily get lost…The curtains fluttered again in the breeze. Against my will, I shivered. Not unnoticed by Kaiba, he had found his moment, and fully intended to take advantage of it.

"You don't want to be chilled," he whispered, and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck, his hands on my shoulders, gently massaging. Shivers became goose bumps too quickly. I thought I detected a faint chuckle; it sounded almost like a purr. "I'll warm you up…"

Good gravy. Where the hell was this coming from? If he came any closer to me, I was going to get pushed out of the window. And he still hadn't buttoned that shirt up! This was maddening… And more, what was the reason behind all this? I was sick; it was common sense that he shouldn't get that close to me. So why was I so concerned…about his concern? This was too confusing! I drummed my fingers on the windowsill, but soon they, too, were covered by Kaiba's larger, stronger hands. The linen cuffs of his shirt were also left unbuttoned, brushing against my fingers, gently obscuring my hand from my own sight.

Come on, Serenity. Are you going to let him control you like this? 'Yes… no! Battle plan…you got yourself into this, you can think yourself out. He started this, but you are more than capable of finishing it…' My, this should be interesting.

Well, two can play at this game. I smiled satisfactorily, phrases already beginning to form in my mind. He may have a hold on me, but he's got no hold over me. "You just won't rest, will you…" I replied, almost as softly as he, wishing I had a camera as the bomb dropped.

"You just won't rest until I'm out of here."

Kaiba was left holding nothing but air. I had lulled him into a false sense of security, and then ducked out of his embrace. Check, Kaiba. It's your move now. He turned around, his reaction a touch delayed. "I knew it: you just can't wait until I'm gone, can you? Trying to speed up my recovery. So eager to have this room to yourself…" I drawled, feeling the cold eyes of the CEO drawn towards my movement.

"I quite agree. You've shaken things up around here." He caught on fast, but not fast enough for this game. He was flustered, or as flustered as he'd ever be, and he had left himself wide open.

"So you agree to take me home after lunch?" I called, slinking out of the room, purposefully leaving my bag lying on Seto's bed. Checkmate.

She didn't know it, but Seto was staring at her retreating figure, baffled. What was that all about? She was playing him the whole time! Well, he couldn't complain, because he had been playing her too…

"So close…I almost had you." He then looked over and saw the satchel. 'Nice move, Wheeler.'

He didn't know it, but as I closed the double doors behind me, I let out a (silent) whoop and punched the air. 'Yeah! I so schooled him…just try and resist me now, Seto Kaiba.' I checked my watch, noting the time. My stomach growled in anticipation.

Mokuba's POV

So, I was officially scared, and lunch had barely even started. It was as if both my brother and Serenity had decided to use every opportunity to verbally assault the other. At first it was funny, watching them match wits over soup and salad. But it got obvious pretty fast that they both knew how to throw punches, as well as take them. The worst part was that all of this was being done with smiles, Seto's his characteristic smirk, and Serenity's a confident grin. They…enjoyed this? Is this what happens when you go to High School? They were interrupting a perfectly good lunch, but I felt like if I got involved, they would both turn on me. But if I heard anything starting with "Your momma so fat-", I was going to lose the lunch I was currently eating. "Huh?"

"Come back to us, Mokuba. I asked you to pass the salt."

I eyed the small pewter accessory. "It's closer to Serenity, ask her to get it."

"Weren't you listening earlier? I asked her to hand it to me five minutes ago."

Now she joined in the fight. "Obviously he wasn't listening; he didn't hear you asking him to pass the salt." Oh joyous.

" Maybe he wasn't listening because you were talking!"

"What do you even need the salt for anyways?"

We all paused, to survey the contents of the meal. I hid a laugh by quickly spooning soup into my mouth. I wished he'd reply. Pepper on salad was defendable, but salt on anything being served here was pointless.

I stared down into an empty bowl. They seemed done eating, too. "Now, are we all done proving our intelligence?"

"Wit," they both replied in unison. I raised an eyebrow.

"The presence of intelligence is obvious, well—in at least one of us," Seto explained.

"Oh, don't exclude yourself," Serenity shot back. She still looked surprised at their unison correction, her eyes opening and closing, slowly.

"So you admit to my intelligence?"

Gosh this was getting out of hand. I've had more than enough of this. My chair squeaked against the floor as I stood up.

"O-kaay," I shrugged. "Well, your, um… _wit_ is practically choking me, so I'm going to finish my homework." I turned back just before crossing the threshold. "Come back soon, okay, Serenity?" 'Like he'd let her stay any longer. They would destroy this house, just to get a rise out of the other. Jeesh. I'll rue the day I ever meet a girl…'

Normal POV

I watched Mokuba's hair swish behind him as he retreated from view. I couldn't resist one last try. I picked up the small metal object. "Here's your salt."

He sat in his chair, momentarily dazed. I heard the squeak of wood on wood, his chair sliding back as he stood up. "Why are you so eager to try my patience?"

We couldn't have an argument on two different levels. I stood up, matching his gaze. I couldn't tell if he were mad, irritated, or amused. Maybe it was all a façade…

"Why did you say wit?" The words escaped my mouth involuntarily. The trademark Kaiba smirk was fixed on me again. He took one step towards me. "I thought it was obvious."

"You didn't answer my question." I returned his gaze defiantly. I felt my body move almost of its own accord.

"You didn't answer mine." The gap had closed between us now. He towered above me, the top of my head just reaching under his chin. I could feel his breath on my ear. I was almost afraid to look up, afraid that if I took one look into his azure eyes, that everything would be gone. I felt strong arms wrap around me, keeping me from…running away? Like hell I was, I wasn't going anywhere until I got some answers.

His breath tickled. If I looked him in the eyes, I was afraid my confusion might betray me. "Why are you doing this? Playing with my emotions like it's a game."

"No matter the game, you know I'll always win." His countenance matched his serious tone. What have I gotten myself into?

My breath caught in my throat. "And what's the prize?"

Seto's POV

"No matter the game, you know I'll always win." I was enjoying this too much. Her eyes were as wide as they'd ever been, capturing all of the light in the room. A lazy smile was beginning to form across my face. My hands found a resting place on the small of her back. I wanted her as close to me as she could stand it.

I could feel her nervousness. We were so close, yet out in the open. I started my advance on her, but she willingly moved towards me. Her face reached to my neck, I could feel her breath hitch before she spoke. "And what's the prize?"

Her voice was so soft, it was maddening. What was I supposed to say? You're the prize…and what? Watch her melt? No, she'd probably slap me and run from the house. I needed a way to slowly draw her in. I wanted her to want me. And to do that, I would have to leave her wanting more.

"Serenity," I breathed, causing her to look up at me, tilting her neck up the required distance. When did my hands move to that neck? I felt the burn of her stare; she watched and waited, expectantly.

"Yes?" Our faces were only inches apart, perhaps less. How tempting it would be to kiss her; I hadn't since that afternoon in our gym teacher's office. But she was expecting it. Hmm. Maybe she would try to kiss me first. That would certainly be interesting. But she wasn't getting one now from me. Not quite yet. My thoughts drifted momentarily to this morning. It's time to turn the tables on you, Serenity. See how you liked it.

"It's time for that ride home you want so desperately," I whispered right into her ear. I released her and walked away, a knowing smirk on my face. Because before I broke away, I saw all that she had been hiding. Her cheeks tinged pink, her mouth trembling, and her eyes…she was disappointed.

Normal POV

Seto Kaiba, I hate you. You can be mean, insulting, and annoying. You can be selfish, confusing and irritating. So then why was I drawn to you like a magnet? When I wanted to run you held me back, when I wanted more (what was I thinking!), then you stopped. I wanted to run after you, if only to yell right in your face, 'What. Is. The. Deal!?'

I left the kitchen in a huff. It wasn't so much as that he _was_ playing me, it was _why_. I wanted to know why I was so deserving of his interest- like I even wanted it! It just seemed somehow that the Fates have conspired to throw us together as often as possible. Would I mind so much…if he caught me?

I felt like my mind was playing tricks on me. Of course I would mind! I was independent, and keeping it that way. Why would I want to willingly spend time with someone I so clearly despise? Any thoughts I might have had regarding his physical attractiveness went out the window the instant he opened his mouth. Wait one second…I did not just think that. I needed to get out of this place. See what happens when I'm around him? I can't think straight.

My shoes announced my entrance into the foyer, their sounds against the floor echoing in the vastness of the space. I still couldn't get over how grand everything was. I noticed Seto lurking in a corner near the door, watching my approach. "I still can't get over this hall," I called out to him. "It's beautiful…" I didn't gawk, but just allowed my gaze to float to the ceiling, so many stories above us. My voice was magnified along with the sound my feet were making as I walked over to him.

"It's my home. Of course I would like to be surrounded by beauty at all times."

"So that's why you keep me around." He shot me a dark, penetrating look. I shrugged innocently.

"Here's your bag, Serenity. I made sure it was here, ready for your departure." Clever are we?

"Thank you for taking such great care of my…belongings." I faltered, this sounded bad. "And thank you for taking care of me when I was sick, and from rescuing me from that awful place…"

He smirked at me, reaching into my bag and pulling out my jacket. He held it open for me to put on. Was it just me, or did I feel his touch on my back, his hands on my neck, for just awhile longer than necessary?

"Then it seems, Serenity," the word rolling elegantly off of his tongue. I was surprised how well my name sounded coming from him. "You are quite in my debt."

"And how do I repay this debt?" I asked, hoping that he wouldn't make me do anything embarrassing. I couldn't put anything past him.

I heard my bag drop to the ground as Seto Kaiba reached out and pulled me towards him. I had barely a moment to react before he bent his head down and kissed me fiercely. Beyond my momentary surprise there was no struggle, there was no possibility that I would push him away. I closed my eyes and gave in to the kiss. Seto had one hand on my back and the other on my neck, simultaneously pulling me towards him from these two directions. I thought my feet would leave the ground, if but for a moment. My hands found a place running through his chestnut locks. I moaned softly; I didn't want the kiss to end. That was when it hit me- I was falling for him. I was attracted to both his body but also his mind. The thought of this frightened me terribly. Did I want to like him? Maybe not… It just happened. And I knew that I couldn't go back.

I broke the kiss reluctantly. We were both panting slightly. Seto looked at me through half-lidded eyes, returning my faint smile. "That's a start."

A/N:I hope everyone likes? I wrote that chapter basically as a response to all the comments due to the pace of their relationship. I got a lot of 'It's going too fast!' Don't worry; I'll stay the speed limit. I mean, it's taken this long (11chapters!) for Serenity to admit that she likes him. It may be confusing, so here's my take: Serenity is finally going to start admitting it to herself; Seto still thinks of this as a chase/challenge, not thinking at all about what would happen if the same were to happen to him. I feel like each of them has been going through life never being challenged, never having someone to unlock the potential in them. Hence romance! And tension! And awkward moments! It's coming, I swear. I know you people reading are probably like, 'aww, why is she leaving the house so soon?' but I've got to tie up all these loose ends happening in the plot. Then I can have fun re-crafting this story, making it my own again.

Last comment: this is the first chapter I've written that's longer than the first chapter. Is it helpful getting more meat in a chapter, or can I bring across what I'm saying in less words? I can't wait to start on the next chapter!

Sakura Takanouchi


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N: Just a quick rant. I'm actually quite upset with the reception of this piece since I brought it back to life. I pulled out a LOT of stops in the last chapter, and am trying very hard to write these new parts well and keep everything entertaining for you all, my readers. But when both new chapters get only 2 reviews each, it seems rather pointless. I've had over 1000 hits for this story since I posted chapter 10, and it's actually quite depressing. I need to know if it's even worthwhile to continue this, or devote my time to my other SxS pieces. I'm sorry for the rant, but I feel it needs to be said. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Fire and Ice

By Sakura Takanouchi

Chapter 12

--

I was shocked. Surprised, stunned, dazed. The list could go on for quite awhile. If this was his way of saying you're welcome, I don't know how he would even begin to say thank you. I had to remind myself of who I was talking about. Seto Kaiba doesn't say thank you. But beyond that, something was nagging at the back of my brain. And after our repartee earlier, I began to notice it: that we were more alike than I ever cared to let on.

"Let's get you home," Seto called, easily opening the doors and heading outside. I followed, almost forgetting (for real this time) to take my bag with me. The weather was lovely; the sun was high overhead and a slight breeze ruffled my hair. I sighed contentedly, swinging my arms and glancing at the sky as I walked towards the car that Seto was already starting.

"You can't leave without me," I sang, noticing for the first time that this was a two-seater sports car. I froze for a moment. What happened to the limo? Okay, Serenity. You can handle this.

Sliding into the seat next to him, I noticed he took off as soon as I had closed the door. _Somebody_ was in a hurry. "You know, I'm placing my life in your hands. So you better not get in a wreck." I sneaked a look at him. Didn't even crack a smile. Eyes never left the windshield. This would be harder than I thought.

So, let's try a different tack. "So, the culture festival is coming up,"

I heard a grunt. At least, I think it was a grunt.

"Talkative are we? We only have two weeks until then, so we've got to get busy. We have to finish the booths, somehow transport the games into the gym, and coordinate with the volleyball team how they're going to be selling food. All in two weeks!"

"I don't see why you're worrying," He replied, a confident edge to the monotone. "Of course we'll get it all done. There really isn't any other option."

"Oh." My voice felt small and insignificant besides his. I was just coming to realize that he had to deal with worse things than some silly culture festival, every day. Of course he was so used to this that he wouldn't even break a sweat. At my old school, I was never one to be given a leadership position like this. I always worked patiently on the sidelines. Well, this was my shot, and I wasn't going to let anything stop me from making the culture festival a success. And that was including the person currently sitting next to me.

Our conversation faded into silence as I only spoke to give him directions as to get to my apartment, forgetting that he had been there once before, but never inside. Should I invite him in? It would be rude not to… but compared to where he lived, mine was probably smaller than his closet. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I barely noticed that the car had stopped.

"You want to stay that badly?" I looked up, confused. Seto had already turned off the engine and was leaving the car, while I had yet to even unbuckle my seatbelt.

"You want me to stay that badly?" I smiled sweetly; opening my door, laughing at myself for even thinking that he would try and open it for me. I did notice, however, that he locked the car as we ascended the steps to my apartment. I was satisfied; he didn't plan on leaving anytime soon then.

As we both stood on the landing, I proudly retrieved my key and stuck it into the door. The room was dark, as no lights were on and the blinds were all closed, allowing little to no light in the room. I flipped the switch to the 'on' position and the central ceiling light flickered on. What I saw froze my feet to the floor as an audible gasp escaped my lips.

My living room was completely trashed.

I had left it messy, hoping to get some cleaning done over the weekend, but this… this was… …

This was the work of something else entirely.

"Wheeler, what is—" I heard Seto speak, but I was effectively tuning everything out. Thoughts and scenarios kept running through my head, refusing to leave. 'How could this happen…?' I could barely believe it, yet the evidence was here right in front of me.

I didn't want to enter the room, but I made myself cross the threshold. I was visibly shaking…was he still here? Did he take anything of mine, or leave anything of his? Would he have come here if I had been here? …What if he _had_ come when I was there? The thought made me want to retch; this is impossible. _This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. _

A rush of air, the sound of footsteps, and Seto Kaiba was behind me, holding me to him, his chin over my shoulder. I couldn't stop shaking… my chest was heaving, and everything seemed to be moving too fast. This was my place, my sanctuary. And it was violated by that disgusting—

"Serenity, I want you to look at me." Seto's voice was deathly serious. I turned around, slowly. His eyes frightened me… I didn't know when I'd seen him angrier. "This… your apartment… _he_ was here, wasn't he?"

I nodded mutely. Seto swore, his whole countenance blazing with fury. "That bastard!" he roared. Glancing quickly around the room, he returned his gaze to me. "Serenity… your safety is the most important thing possible here. This apartment is no longer safe. I am going to check to make sure no one else is in here, and then you are going to pack. You can't stay here any longer." He motioned for me to stay close to him, and then he made his way slowly through my small apartment. Every room had been rifled through, and as embarrassed as I would have been normally to have Seto Kaiba see my bedroom, it was even more humiliating to have him see it with the sheets ripped off of the bed, the drawers opened and contents spilling out, and everything in such disarray. I started to shake again; noticing immediately that my favorite picture frame, a silver scrolled decoration which usually stood on my desk was empty. It had previously held last year's yearbook picture, and it was gone… that cemented any doubts that I might have had.

What was worse than anything was the feeling of hopelessness, of insecurity that permeated through me. I wanted to be strong; I tried to be strong, yet everything seemed so out of my control. Every time I looked at Seto, I hated seeing that expression. So…angry and concerned and supportive and protective… I hated that he was seeing me like this. But what was worse, was the feeling that I needed to have someone there. If Seto wasn't there, in the room, with me then I wouldn't know what I would do.

We thoroughly searched every room, and ended up back in the living room. Seto turned to me, making eye contact again, causing me to shiver despite the recent control I was slowly gaining over myself. "I am going to send the best security officers and investigators here to comb this place through, to make sure he hasn't wiretapped this place… or put hidden cameras anywhere." His voice was laced with disgust, and I felt sick again. "In the meantime, you are going to pack. Take as much as you need for an extended amount of time." He turned to survey the room, finality in his gaze. "Please do this as fast as possible, and then I'm taking you to your brother's. He of all people I know will not let you out of his sight."

I managed a weak smile at his words. Then realization cut through me like a knife. "No! I can't… … I never told him anything, anything about this… I don't want to put anyone in danger, especially him, and you… oh, this is all my fault—"

"Don't ever say that!" Seto rounded on me, squeezing my arms until it hurt, towering over me, his eyes shining dangerously. "Don't ever even think that. This never was, never is, and never could be your fault. Do you understand me?"

"Yes." It sounded weak, even to my ears. "Yes, I should stay with Joey." I gathered so much strength from him, and wondered how he did it, how he could stand so strong after being there for not only his brother, but now for me. The thought made me feel happier instantly. _Seto Kaiba was there for me._ But then why hadn't he offered his own place? Were his words only that?

I packed quickly, not wanting to be in my room for any longer than absolutely necessary. As much as I wanted to leave this place, I dreaded going to Joey's apartment. What would I tell him? I knew that I should tell him, but what if he got hurt because of me? I wouldn't be able to deal with it, and then Mai would blame me for what would happen…

I heard footsteps and the door opening. "Are you ready to go?" Seto asked. He took the suitcase from me and easily carried it from the apartment. I turned off the lights and locked the door behind us securely. I turned my back on the place and we left. I only looked back once, only when we were too far away to see anything.

"Seto?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"Yes?"

Wow, his voice was so gentle, it was astonishing. I appreciated how hard he was trying to calm me down, and just hearing his voice combined with that most positive word was a tonic for my soul.

"There's no way your car could be bugged, is there?"

"I doubt it, but it's always safe to check." Seto pushed several buttons on the console in the middle of the dashboard, and what I had thought was a GPS device came to life, showing a 3-D grid of the car. Red pulses were coming up on the screen, and I noticed one was the engine, and another was in my pocket. I reached in and pulled out my cell phone. Smirking a little at my expression, he explained the use of KaibaCorp technology added to enhance the car. I could see that every red pulse on the screen was accounted for. I felt a lot easier about going to Joey's apartment now.

"You know, it's understandable that you want to protect your brother, but we all want to protect you," Seto said, swiftly changing lanes. "He deserves to know."

"…I … … I want to tell him, but… I can't. Not yet." I looked desperately for some sign of approval from the man in the driver's seat, but got nothing, other than a determinedly set frown. "I will though, I promise. You know my brother. I don't want him to get out of control."

I saw him visibly relax at my promise. Soon we had arrived at Joey's apartment, and Seto carried up the heavy suitcase to the door. "I'm obviously less than welcome here, so I will leave you now," Seto said; his hand still on the suitcase handle. "Remember our promise…you are going to tell him."

"Of course," I smiled reassuringly up at him, and hesitatingly wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you, for everything," I breathed, putting meaning into every word.

He didn't respond, simply a touch on the shoulder, a meaningful look, and he was gone, his car waiting patiently in the shadows for me to go inside. I fished my key out of my pocket and used it to open the door. "Joey!" I called.

"Serenity? It's great to see you, but… what's with the suitcase?"

"I kind of forgot to tell you, but… …my apartment is getting fumigated! They're cutting the utilities for several weeks, and I completely forgot. I'm so sorry!" I rolled my suitcase across the threshold of the apartment and into my room. The hand jammed into my pocket had two fingers crossed. "You don't mind, do you?" I called, my voice echoing around the space.

"Not at all, it will be great to have you around. In fact, I'll call up everybody and we'll have a big dinner and…" Joey sounded so excited to have me around, but I couldn't let even more people get close to me now.

My suitcase slid open with a zip. "Joey, can't we have a special family dinner tonight? I promise that we'll all eat lunch tomorrow together, ok?" That was good enough for him, for he began to talk then about how much fun that would be and how I've been neglecting him ever since I started making my own friends at school.

"You've probably been spending more time with Yugi than me, right, sis?" He leaned good-naturedly in the door frame, watching as I unpacked. I slammed the bureau drawer closed with a start.

"Oh… well, I've been so busy with the culture festival, it's just…"

"It's okay, sis, I understand," Joey said, my cheeks reddening because he was so far from the truth. "It's great that you're so involved with that project. Our class is combining with Tea's; we're raffling off several things. It doesn't take any effort at all!"

"Oh, so you came up with it then, right?" I teased, laughing as he pushed all recognition to Tea. Later that night, as we sat at the tiny kitchenette table, eating the food that I had prepared (I had told Joey we were going grocery shopping the next day), I could almost believe that things were normal. I felt horrible lying to Joey, but not only was I afraid of his reaction, I was afraid of what he would do to me. I didn't want to be locked in my room like a bird in a cage, and I knew exactly what that felt like from experience.

When I had first begun to lose my eyesight, my mother had freaked out, insisting that I never be unaccompanied so that I wouldn't hurt myself. I had hated the incessant presence of friends and family, always assuming that I was unable to do anything for myself. Once I was alone in my room, I practiced walking around and finding things just to prove them wrong. But who would give me the chance? I was never allowed to do anything I wanted to do because of my eyes. And once the surgery was complete, it was bliss. Freedom to no longer have those bandages as chains. And I embraced every second of it.

After such an eventful day, I sought refuge in sleep for the first time in a long time. I wished desperately that when I woke up, it would be from this nightmare of reality; that everything would be over. I couldn't help but wishing, 'Why me?' Why did any of this have to happen to me? I didn't want to hurt anyone, but at the same time I don't want to get hurt. I felt like I was walking on a tightrope and at any moment I could lose my balance and fall, with nothing there to catch me. Careful to not wake my brother, I softly and silently let the tears run down my cheeks, the sound of my breathing my own strange lullaby.

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A/N: You people probably hate me. Plot twist, anyone? Things are converging at last; and I've finally decided on a way to end this story. It will take plenty more chapters, though. Don't forget what I mentioned earlier, and if you'd rather read something more lighthearted than this chapter, check out my newest one-shot about a _realistically_ drunk Seto Kaiba! I hope everyone liked this chapter, however short it was…school's a killer…

Love, Sakura Takanouchi


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